Consider Vacuum Seal (163.47 KB)
Schools that have access to local, fresh produce and who wish to take advantage of low prices during abundant supply and peak nutrition may want to consider vacuum sealing in-house processed and frozen fruits and vegetables. Vacuum sealing provides optimal preservation of these foods and allows their use in future child nutrition program meals.
Processing fruits and vegetables through freezing in the school allows for control of salt, sugar, and fat, and the opportunity to customize spices being used to season the foods. The quality of the product is in your control. However, as with any food preparation, safe practices should be followed. This fact sheet identifies what school nutrition operators should consider when using a vacuum seal packaging system to ensure safe and quality products. Alternate packaging systems can be used, but product characteristics, quality, and other issues should be considered when making the decision.
An alternative option is to outsource processing. Some produce companies offer the custom service of cleaning, shelling, chopping, and freezing produce for districts, per your specifications. It would be worthwhile to compare the costs of processing your own produce versus having a produce company do it for you. For more information, see Food Safety Practices to Expect from Your Fresh-Cut Produce Processor.
Advantages of Vacuum Sealing
- Produce that is vacuum sealed is much less likely to become freezer burned, which is damage caused by dehydration and oxidation when air reaches the food, as the amount of oxygen present is reduced. Therefore, shelf life of processed foods is increased and quality improved.
- This technique allows for a quality product throughout the school year.
- Produce may be preserved with vacuum sealing and then refrigerated or frozen in amounts that work best for your school system with considerations of staff availability and space for processing and storing.
- Bags of cooked product may be reheated in hot water or steam while remaining in the vacuum bag, if specialized bags are used.
- Bags of fruits can be thawed in the refrigerator.