Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, is answering U.S. consumer demand for improved food safety and quality with the introduction of Oxy-Guard™, an oxygen-reducing technology that helps prevent the growth of mold, fungus and bacteria in pre-packaged foods. Widely used in Asia for decades, the technology elimates reliance on chemical preservatives with high-performance oxygen scavenger packets, giving Clariant’s U.S. customers a proven option for cost-effective food preservation.
“Clariant’s introduction of our Oxy-Guard oxygen scavenger technology to the U.S. food packaging market comes at a very significant time,” said Justin Mueller, head of Cargo & Device Protection, Clariant. “As the global availability of nutritional, high-quality food supplies becomes more critical – due to a growing worldwide population and rising food prices – consumers are becoming increasingly concerned with food freshness, shelf life and cost. Our Oxy-Guard oxygen scavengers help prevent food waste and can alleviate many of the public’s quality concerns at a cost-competitive price for our customers.”
Oxygen is the primary cause of food degradation, affecting flavor, color, smell and texture, and can deteriorate food’s vitamin and nutritional value. According to an article by the Institute of Food Technologists, oxygen scavengers used in the food packaging industry are referred to as “active packaging” and are considered to be a progressive, next-generation technique for delivering long shelf-life and consumer convenience.1
Clariant’s Oxy-Guard packaging inserts contain a combination of salt and iron powder, which combine to maintain oxygen levels at less than 0.01 percent inside sealed packages. As the salt absorbs moisture from the packaging, the iron begins to oxidize, initiating the oxygen absorption process. With Oxy-Guard technology, high-quality packaged food can arrive at its destination with freshness, flavor and nutritional value not sacrificed, and can extend product shelf-life from one week to several months compared to packaged food that does not utilize an oxygen scavenger.
