Food-safe mylar bags are an essential item for any prepper or survivalist. They are versatile, durable. and can be used for a variety of purposes. In this article, we will discuss the different types of mylar bags, their uses, and how to pack them for maximum efficiency.
I’m sure you’ve heard of mylar bags, which are used for packaging products. safe food contact excellent material for food products that need to be protected in an airtight environment.
Heat seal aluminum foil USDA compliant liner material is quite safe than others. Custom mylar bags are one of the most common types of barrier packaging, used for everything from trail mix to protein powder.
What is Mylar and how this material is made?
Mylar is the trademarked name of a polyester film developed by DuPont in the 1950s. Stretching polyethylene terephthalate film (PET) results in a grid-like form and reduced thickness. Biaxially oriented PET, or boPET, or Mylar, are crystallized in high-temperature ovens to prevent them from shrinking back to their original size. Since Mylar is molecularly oriented, it is strong, resistant to extreme temperatures, and transparent. Because the film’s surface is so smooth and thin, it can become sticky. In order to make handling easier, microscopic inert inorganic particles like silicon dioxide were embedded in the film’s structure.
Based on a chart by DuPont Teijin Films, Metallized Mylar offers 140 times less oxygen transmission (OTR 0,5) and 40 times less water vapor transmission (VTR *1) compared to Mylar Polyester.
A thin metal layer can also be formed on the surface of the boPET film by vapor deposition: metals such as aluminum and gold are evaporated and applied to the film. This material reduces gas permeability and reflects up to 99% of light, including most of the infrared spectrum. Polyethylene can also be laminated to this aluminized Mylar. In contrast, the aluminized boPET layer looks shiny, while the polyethylene layer is dull. BoPET polyester film enhances puncture resistance and scalability.
What are the applications for Mylar?
Due to the popularity of Metalized Mylar, most people mistakenly associate Mylar with silver-colored film. In fact, metalized Mylar PET/MET or VMPET is the proper term to use. Our company has sold millions of bags made from metalized PET, and we tend only to think of plastic food bags, but Mylar has many other uses, metalized or not, besides flexible barrier bags.
Some of Mylar’s other applications are as follows:
First of all, it can be used as a base material for flexible barrier packaging. Secondly, it can be used in the following six environments.
- Decoration: You can use metalized boPET to make book covers or mirrors.
- Cover: Provides protection for maps, documents, comics, and photographs.
- Insulation: Mylar is used for electrical and thermal insulation in houses, tents, spacesuits, emergency blankets, firehouses, and firefighters’ clothes.
- Solar, marine and aeronautical: blinds, shades; sails for sailboats, gliders, paragliders and kites; solar panels, solar cooking stoves.
- Electronics and acoustics: diaphragms for speakers, headphones, and microphones; tape recordings, vinyl records, compact discs, floppy disks.
- Others: balloons, confetti, rolls of labels, nail polish with glitter effects, transparencies, labels, storage.
How to choose the thickness?
In general, small sizes are 3.5-4.5 mil (I personally do not recommend the 3.5 mil bags, since they are prone to tearing). 4.5 to 6.5 mils are available in large sizes. I recommend using a thicker mylar bag for long-term food storage. As a result, thicker bags provide better insulation, preventing outside elements from damaging your product.
Under 4.5 mils of thickness, mylar bags do not have barrier properties and are not suitable for long-term storage since they provide less protection and insulation.
If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly option, you can go for the 3.5 mil mylar bag. In order to avoid any tearing, it is best to be extra careful when handling and storing the product.
The rule of thumb is to use the thickest mylar bag you can for your products. Package your products so that they can be stored regardless of weight. Choose sturdy packaging to prevent product damage as well as damage to the bag.
Mylar’s benefits: what are they?
Mylar’s unique properties include high tensile strength, temperature resistance, chemical stability, and protection against gases, odors, and light.
Due to the aluminum layer in Mylar bags, which are also known as foil pouches, so many food products are stored in them.
Listed below are some good dry food options that can be stored in Mylar bags.
Great food options that can be safely stored in Mylar bags are:
Dry foods-CBD flowers, coffee, whole wheat, dried berries, white sugar, salt, soft grains, rice, beans, pasta.
Dry products with little moisture-Jerky, Oatmeal, Powdered milk, juice, Pet food, Seeds, Crackers, Wheatberries, Flour, Dried corn, Spices.
Products with low moisture contents-Dried Coconut, Herbs, Chips, Bread mixes, Cake mixes, Tortilla mixes.
Low-fat foods-Spices, Herbs, Chips, Bread mixes, Cake mixes, Tortilla mix, Coconut.
How long will it be food storage?
Common Mylar Bags Food Storage Times:
Less than one year:
Nuts, crisps, chips, chocolate, candy, dried eggs, crackers, and nut butter. As a result of their high moisture and oil content, these foods are not ideal for long-term storage. Brown rice has an increased oil content and a shorter shelf life. Since these items expire faster than grains, it might make sense to consume them more often.
1 to 3 years:
Dehydrated meat (beef jerky), yeast, dry biscuits.
3 to 5 years:
Baby milk/formula, cornmeal (maize flour), herbs (ground), powdered milk (full-fat), sprouting seeds
5 to 10 years:
Alfalfa, gluten, granola, whole herbs, millet, mung beans, quinoa, peanut butter powder, powdered milk (semi-skimmed), powdered egg, rye, unbleached flour, wheat flakes
10 to 20 years:
Black turtle beans, black-eyed peas, buckwheat, butter/margarine powder, chickpeas, cocoa powder, Durham wheat, flax, white flour, whole wheat flour
20 to 30 years:
Coffee (instant), freeze-fried fruit and vegetables, legumes (kidney beans, lentils, lima beans, split peas), powdered milk (skimmed), grains (rolled oats, hulled oats, white rice, dry pasta), tea (bags or loose), potato flakes, dried onions
Indefinitely:
Baking soda/powder, honey, salt, sugar, salt, cornstarch
Attention: These years are based on keeping your food in a cool (4.4-15.6 degree C) storage area.
How to choose printing ways for mylar bag
In addition to allowing easy product advertising, mylar bags can also be used to grow your brand. Because of this, many printing options are available, including digital printing, Flexo, and rotogravure. You can also customize your mylar bags to improve product visibility and customer interaction.
How to confirm if your mylar bag BPA free or FDA food-grade
It is common for mylar bags to be laminated by several layers of film. We must ensure that LDPE or RCPP materials are used in the final contact with food. For blowing your film, you must declare to your manufacturer that they can only use 100% raw material.
The FDA must also certify that it is safe for use in food products with a BPA and food-grade testing pass report. Make sure your mylar bag meets the requirements. You can always ask your manufacturers for samples of the same batch with the inner layers, such as LDPE or RCPP. If you live in America, you may send the sample to the FDA for testing, or you can send the samples yourself to your local SGS laboratory. e.g: Child Resistant Mylar packaging: FDA 21 CFR 73
Can we customize our mylar bag size?
Due to Mylar’s flexibility, it comes in a variety of sizes. Iwynner Packaging can manufacture any size from 1″ x 1″ to a 55-gallon drump liner, and everything in between. Our mylar style bags are made to order on sizing, so you determine the exact size you want. Mylar bags typically range in size from 2 inches by 2 inches to X-large (20 inches by 30 inches by 8 inches).
Our ability to totally customize the size of your mylar bags means you never need to worry about not finding the right size you need!
Protecting Mylar in Storage and Transport
Mylar bags are prone to blow-outs. Mylar bags tear or explode when the pressure applied to them exceeds their tensile strength. Here are some common solutions.
Strengthening the mylar bags by reinforcing the film with other plastics
or padding around the bags.
After loading, leave less air in the bag so that, if exposed to an altitude change (like air transport), it won’t blow out.
What foods should not be stored with oxygen absorbers (OA)?
When stored with oxygen absorbers, salt and sugar can become hard as a rock.
Brown sugar is also too moist to be stored with them.
Difference between vacuum-sealable mylar and oxygen mylar bags
- Vacuum sealable mylar bags
People often ask this question. Yes, vacuum sealing of mylar bags is possible. Both methods can extend the shelf life and storage period. They can, however, be combined to produce better results. When vacuum sealing, be sure to use a reinforced mylar bag or to have conducted adequate testing. If you vacuum seals the bag too hard, it will tear.
Up to 99.9% of the oxygen in a bag is removed by vacuum sealing, while oxygen absorbers remove 99.5% through oxygen absorbers.
- Oxygen absorber for mylar bag
It destroys vitamins, encourages the growth of mold and aerobic bacteria, and causes tiny pest eggs to hatch. Oxygen is the big bad egg of shelf life. It changes the flavor, destroys vitamins, and encourages the growth of mold and aerobic bacteria.
It is essential to add enough oxygen absorbent as needed when sealing your mylar bags if you choose to add this step. It is better to have too much rather than too little in this case.
Using additional absorbents is not harmful as they are very inexpensive. You can waste a lot of valuable products if you use less than you need.
Conclusion
Now that you have learned everything you need to know about Mylar bags, you are aware of the importance of choosing a reputable store to buy them from. Get in touch with our specialists to learn more about what makes us the best. it’s a long-term storage food investment to protect goods.
