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Store wine and oil in a controlled atmosphere avoiding the use of chemical preservatives

1.12.2016
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Store wine and oil in a controlled atmosphere avoiding the use of chemical preservatives

 

The storage in controlled atmosphere is a technique employed to avoid the oxygen’s contact with the food surface in order to increase the storage time reducing, at the same time, the use of chemical preservatives.

The gases used for these practices are in the air that we normally breathe and therefore not harmful to health.

Foods that usually are preserved with this technique are meat, vegetables, fish, but also fruits, cheeses and baked goods, until homemade pasta even with filling.

In the packaging of the food product the environment’s oxygen is “replaced” with an inert gas inside the package: the most used are nitrogen, carbon dioxide, argon or their mixtures.

In recent years, this technique is frequently applied also in the production, preservation and storage of wine and extra virgin olive oil in order to limit the oxidative processes that are, in some cases, responsible for the loss in terms of nutritional value and organoleptic of the product, until its complete decay.

The choice of a technical gas rather than another one depends on the food that you intend to keep, or the market cost of the gas

 

CARBON DIOXIDE (symbol CO2)

It is a gas heavier than air and may have a preservative and antiseptic action.

Actually, carbon dioxide is not an inert gas, because it is an electrophilic reagent soluble in liquids and it is responsible, for example, for the effervescence of sparkling mineral water and sodas.

The characteristics of this gas therefore, make it suitable for storage of beer and sparkling wines, while it is not used for the extra virgin olive oil and for still wines.


NITROGEN (symbol N)

It is a gas present in the atmosphere (of which it approximately constitutes 78%) in the form of diatomic molecule  (N2).

The molecular nitrogen is very little reactive because the two constituent atoms are joined by a very strong triple chemical bond (N-N). Its low propensity to react with other molecules makes it an inert gas with characteristics similar to those of a noble gas.


ARGON (symbol Ar)

Instead it is a real noble gas and it approximately  constitute 0.94% of Earth’s atmosphere.

Argon is a highly stable chemical element, odorless and tasteless. It is two and half times more soluble in water than nitrogen, and it approximately has the same solubility.

These features make it equally suitable such as nitrogen for prevent oxygen from coming into contact with the wine or with the oil.


Both nitrogen and argon are widely used in storing wine and extra virgin olive oil; nitrogen, being much more plentiful in nature than argon is less expensive, however, it should be specified that the yield of argon is greater, in fact its higher molecular weight makes it heavier than air and stratifying on the surface of the liquid more effective to prevent oxidations even when it is used in smaller quantities.


Our tanks are all prepared for the hooking of gas pressure reduction and distribution kits.

The quick connect kits are easy to use.
Our technical department will guide you with the telephone support to the assembly and it will also be available to give information and assistance.
SCOPRI DI PIU'

 

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