What is a desiccant and why is it important?
A.Their are many different types of desiccant. The most common are made of activated clay, silica gel, and molecular sieve. Most simply stated a “packaged desiccant” adsorbs water molecules by pulling the water into it’s molecular structure and retaining it away from the atmosphere you are trying to protect. You see them in your pill bottles, fine electronics, and so on, ensuring that the product inside the package will be protected against moisture damage. In dry food packaging, desiccant is extremely important because it helps to maintain a very dry environment within a package, usually below 8-10% relative humidity. The dry environment reduces the risk of spoilage due to mold etc. Q.Why should I use an oxygen absorber in my long term food packaging system. A. The presence of oxygen in an atmosphere sustains life, life to microorganisms, insects and even their eggs. Remove the oxygen from an atmosphere and remove the potential for life. It really is that overly simplistic. (of course
