Vacuum Packaging for Restaurants, Butchers and Food Processors

Why food businesses vacuum pack

Vacuum packing removes most of the air from a bag before it is sealed. With less oxygen in contact with the food, oxidation slows down, and frozen food is protected from freezer burn. Portions are packed tightly, take less space in the walk-in and are easy to label and rotate.

For kitchens, vacuum packing is also the basis of sous-vide cooking: food is sealed in a bag and cooked in a temperature-controlled water bath. Butchers use vacuum packs for fresh cuts in the display case and for storage. Food processors use them for retail packs of meat, cheese, fish and prepared foods.

Why a chamber machine

A chamber vacuum sealer evacuates a closed chamber with the bag inside. Because the pressure inside and outside the bag drops together, liquids and moist products stay in the bag, which is essential for marinades, stocks, sauces and fresh meat. Chamber machines use smooth vacuum pouches, and their seals are made by a heated seal bar inside the chamber. Nozzle sealers are better suited to dry or industrial products; our guide Chamber vs. Nozzle Vacuum Sealers compares both.

Which machine for which business

Restaurants and cafés

Most restaurants start with a tabletop chamber sealer. The Turbovac TS20 is compact, with an 11″ seal bar and a 4 or 8 m³/h Busch pump, and runs on 100–120 V. The Turbovac TS40 takes products up to 7″ high and is available with gas flush or two seal bars.

Butcher shops and delis

Butchers pack many bags a day and often larger cuts. A floor model frees up the cutting table: the Turbovac M10-SS is mobile, has two 16.5″ seal bars and runs on 120 V. Omcan's floor models 24081, 24082 and 24083 have dome covers for taller products.

Food processors and central kitchens

Production calls for larger pumps, more seal bar length and double chambers. With a double chamber machine such as the Omcan 43632 or the Turbovac L10, one operator loads one chamber while the other runs.

Sizing at a glance

Packing liquids and sauces

Liquids pack well in a chamber machine. Keep the bag opening above the liquid level, leave headspace and, where your recipe allows, chill liquids before packing. For soups, stocks and marinades, the Omcan 48246 Trento holds the bag upright in a vertical chamber, so the contents stay at the bottom. It takes bags up to 11.8″ × 13.8″, about 3 liters.

Gas flush

Some foods should not be pressed by full vacuum, such as baked goods, delicate fish or sliced products that would stick together. Gas flush fills the bag with an inert gas, usually nitrogen or a gas mixture, before sealing. The Turbovac TS40-L21-GF is a tabletop model with gas flush. You need a gas supply and a clear process for which products get gas and which get vacuum only.

Bags and seal quality

Use vacuum pouches made for food contact, in the sizes you pack most. Thicker bags resist bone punctures and long frozen storage better. Keep the seal area clean and dry: fat, liquid or crumbs in the seal area cause weak seals. Check every seal as part of the routine.

Food safety basics

Vacuum packing reduces oxygen, but it does not replace refrigeration or freezing. Some bacteria grow without oxygen, so vacuum-packed food must be kept cold and handled according to your food safety plan. In the U.S., the FDA Food Code treats vacuum packing as reduced oxygen packaging (ROP), and retail food establishments that use it generally need a HACCP plan. Rules are enforced by state and local health departments, so check the requirements that apply to you before you start.

Workflow in the kitchen

Place the machine near the prep area and the walk-in, with a clean surface for filling bags. Label every bag with the product and date. Pack in batches by product, so the machine settings stay the same. Machines with program memory, such as the TS40-L21-10P or the M70 and M80, store settings per product, so every cook gets the same result.

Common mistakes

Buying a chamber that is too small is the most frequent mistake: a machine that fits today's steaks may not fit a whole brisket or a full hotel pan. The second is ignoring the power supply; several floor and double chamber machines need 220 V or 3-phase power. The third is skipping the food safety side: vacuum packing changes how food must be stored and labeled. Plan the machine, the bags and the process together.

When to move up a size

If the machine runs most of the day, if cooks wait in line to use it, or if your largest products no longer fit, it is time for the next size. Common steps are from a compact tabletop unit to a larger tabletop with two seal bars, then to a mobile floor model, and finally to a double chamber machine for production. Keep the smaller machine as a second station for liquids or small portions.

Maintenance and running costs

Clean the chamber and lid after use, check the lid gasket and the seal bar tape, and replace them when worn. For oil-lubricated pumps, check the oil level and change the oil at the intervals in the manual. Running costs are mainly bags, seal bar tape, gaskets and pump oil.

Recommended Equipment

Tabletop: the Turbovac TS20 and Turbovac TS40. Floor: the Turbovac M10-SS. Liquids: the Omcan 48246 Trento. Production: the Omcan 43632.

Browse all chamber vacuum sealers and our food packaging equipment, or use the Vacuum Sealer Selector.