Industrial Gas Applications in Food & Beverage Production

Food manufacturers deal with a problem that didn’t exist a century ago: getting perishable products to consumers hundreds or thousands miles away while maintaining freshness, flavor, and safety. Industrial gases solve parts of this puzzle in ways that traditional preservation methods can’t match.

Nitrogen Extends Shelf Life Through Displacement

Oxygen causes most food spoilage. It feeds bacteria growth, triggers oxidation that turns fats rancid, and promotes enzymatic reactions that degrade color and flavor. Removing oxygen from packaging dramatically slows these processes, which is why nitrogen flushing has become standard practice for snack foods, coffee, dried fruits, and countless other products.

The process works by displacing air inside packages with pure nitrogen before sealing. Nitrogen is inert—it doesn’t react with food components or support microbial growth. Chip bags filled with nitrogen stay crisp for months instead of going stale in weeks. Ground coffee retains volatile aromatics that would otherwise escape or oxidize. Dried fruits keep their color instead of browning.

Modified atmosphere packaging takes this further by using specific gas mixtures tailored to different food types. Fresh meat packages often contain high-oxygen atmospheres that maintain the bright red color consumers associate with freshness. Bakery items might use nitrogen-CO2 blends that inhibit mold growth while preventing package collapse. Each application requires different gas ratios based on respiration rates, moisture content, and storage temperatures.

Carbon Dioxide Provides Multiple Functions

CO2 carbonates beverages, but its food production uses go well past soda and beer. The gas has antimicrobial properties that make it valuable for extending shelf life in modified atmosphere packaging. Higher CO2 concentrations slow bacterial and fungal growth, particularly in products like fresh pasta, cheese, and prepared salads where traditional preservatives would affect taste or texture.

Cryogenic freezing with liquid CO2 or dry ice creates faster temperature drops than conventional freezers can achieve. This speed matters because it determines ice crystal size—faster freezing produces smaller crystals that cause less cellular damage. Seafood, berries, and other delicate products maintain better texture and quality when flash-frozen with CO2 compared to slower conventional methods.

Dry ice (solid CO2) also serves as a refrigerant for shipping temperature-sensitive products. It sublimates directly from solid to gas without creating the moisture that regular ice produces. This keeps products cold and dry during transport, which matters for items where moisture would degrade quality or create food safety risks.

Oxygen and Other Gases Support Processing

Controlled oxygenation helps wastewater treatment at food processing facilities. Oxygen injection supports aerobic bacteria that break down organic waste more efficiently than ambient air alone can provide. This biological treatment reduces the load on municipal wastewater systems and helps facilities meet discharge requirements.

Hydrogen peroxide (which releases oxygen) sterilizes packaging materials for aseptic processing lines. This allows shelf-stable products like juice boxes and dairy alternatives to sit at room temperature for months without refrigeration. The sterilization happens quickly without leaving chemical residues that would contaminate products or require extensive rinsing.

Some specialty applications use argon for wine preservation systems that displace oxygen in opened bottles, or helium for leak testing in packaging equipment to ensure hermetic seals. Our KnowHow™ in food processing applications helps manufacturers select appropriate gases and delivery systems based on their specific production needs. We’ve worked with hundreds of food facilities to develop solutions that maintain product quality while meeting throughput demands and food safety standards, helping them Forge Forward with reliable gas supply tailored to the unique demands of food production.