How Long Does Food Last in Mylar Bags – All Facts

People who prepare for emergencies and those who worry about having enough food always look for good methods to store food for a long time without it spoiling. Mylar bags are popular among those who prepare for emergencies because they can store food for a long time. In this blog, we’ll discover the life span of various foods last in Mylar bags. So continue to read this interesting and helpful guide.

To store food for a longer time, utilize Mylar pouches. Bags that are thicker than 5mil shield the food from light, moisture, and air, especially when used with oxygen absorbers. Mylar is tough and can keep certain foods preserved for as long as 30 years.

Food suppliers have long relied on Mylar bags to package and preserve food during transportation, thus increasing its shelf life. It's not just preppers who use these bags for food storage. Moreover, must have enough knowledge of using Mylar bags. Because it will help you to keep food fresh for a longer time.

Can You Store Food Long-Term in Mylar Bags?

Throughout history, storing food to prevent spoilage has been a difficult endeavor. It began with the need to store food during winter to sustain families until the next harvest. Over time, our food storage requirements expanded to include preserving food for extended periods, ranging from 5 years to 25 years or even longer.

As we know, modern technology has produced various materials for our help. And now can store food for long-term. Mylar pouches play a significant role in ensuring effective food preservation.

Why Are Mylar Bags Good for Food Storage?

Food spoilage is primarily caused by contamination, oxygen, moisture, and light. However, if you can minimize these impacts then you can enhance the shelf life of your food. Mylar bags excel as long-term food storage containers since they effectively mitigate most of these factors. Consequently, Mylar pouches provide an excellent means to safeguard your food for extended periods.

Mylar bags are created by sandwiching thin layers of aluminium foil between sheets of foodsafe plastic. See the following points for their benefits.

Protects against light exposure. The layers of foil in Mylar bags serve as an effective barrier against light, shielding the contents from light exposure. When selecting Mylar pouches, it is essential to choose ones that have foil on both sides rather than those with a clear front side.

Protects against moisture. Because it has plastic that is waterproof. And it acts like a barrier and blocks the moisture from getting inside. Due to this, bacteria and mold can’t grow inside food.

Excludes oxygen. These bags have foil and plastic layers. These layers prevent oxygen from entering the packaging.

Puncture resistant. A Mylar bag is made from a durable and robust material. And this material is also puncture resistant. So that your food will remain safe for a longer duration. Moreover, this material reduces the chances of packaging damage.

It must be noted that, don’t compromise on quality when you are deciding to store food. Custom kraft mylar bags wholesale are the best choice for long-term storage. Because they are made with 5mil to 7mil thick sheets. For vacuum sealing bags, 4 mil thick ones are the perfect choice. Moreover, you can buy Mylar pouches from various online suppliers and also on Amazon.

How Long Will Food Last Stored in Mylar Bags?

Different foods have different shelf-life packed inside Mylar bags. Storage duration depends on different types of foods and how you store the food. Typical food can last up to 25 to 30 years.

Moreover, foods with lower moisture will last longer as compared to other food items. Further, Mylar has the capacity to block moisture from entering the bag. However, if there is already moisture in the bag then it also keeps it inside. These bags are also temperature resistant. So, the temperature doesn’t have an effect on the food packed in a Mylar bag.

To keep your food safe, remember that Mylar pouches can trap moisture. Therefore, it's best to package food with less than 10% moisture when using oxygen-free storage in Mylar bags. If you have high moisture levels along with oxygen-free storage, it can encourage the growth of anaerobic bacteria that cause botulism poisoning.

The following is a table of expected storage durations for various food types.

Mylar bag Food Storage Durations

Less than 1 year

● Food Type

● Nuts

● Chocolate

● Candy

● Brown rice

1-year to 3-years

● Yeast

● Dry cookies

● Crackers

● Dehydrated meat (jerky)

● Herbs

● Powdered milk (up to 5 years)

● Cornmeal (up to 5 years)

5-years to 10-years

● Granola

● Flour

● Alfalfa

● Herbs

● Millet

● Mung beans

● Powdered egg

● Unbleached flour

10-years to 20-years

● Dried peas

● Buckwheat

● Chickpeas

● Cocoa powder

● White flour

● Wholewheat flour

● Flax.

Unlimited Duration

● Baking powder

● Salt

● Sugar

● Honey Indefinite storage

Best Foods for Mylar Bag Storage

For optimal results, it is recommended to store low-moisture foods in Mylar pouches. Examples of suitable options include whole grains, dried foods, and dehydrated or freezedried foods.

Keep in mind, food with higher moisture content will not last longer. Because bacteria can grow inside the bag due to moisture. In such cases, it's best to leave the oxygen in the bag. This is important because removing oxygen from a high-moisture environment can lead to the growth of botulism bacteria.

The most suitable foods for Mylar bag storage are those with moisture content below 10%. If the moisture content is higher, it is not recommended to package them for long-term storage