1. Is OUKPAK safe even if it is accidentally ingested?OUKPAK is not a food and should not be eaten on purpose. If the contents of a sachet are accidentally ingested by either you or a pet please rest assured. Our product is made from safe ingredients which all comply with regulations. Through acute toxicity tests conducted by public institutions the contents of OUKPAK are non-toxic.
2. Can OUKPAK be used in frozen conditions?
Any type of OUKPAK can be used in freezing temperatures of -25°C but the speed of the oxygen absorption becomes extremely slow. If freezing your product with OUKPAK is a necessity we do have several suggestions to avoid a very long absorbing period.
The first being to use our FAST type. The second is to place OUKPAK into the package, seal the package and leave it at room temperature for about half a day before freezing to allow the oxygen to be absorbed at ambient temperatures.
3. Can OUKPAK be used with vacuum packaging?
Yes, OUKPAK can be used with some vacuum packaging. With a decreased air volume in the package a smaller sized OUKPAK can be used.
However, placement is very important. The OUKPAK sachet should be placed in a high air flow area within the package. If the sachet is placed under a tray or in a corner of a bag we cannot guarantee that the oxygen will be properly absorbed from the package.
4. Can OUKPAK be used with gas flushed packaging?
OUKPAK can be used with nitrogen gas flushing. While nitrogen gas flushing reduces the amount of oxygen in a package, it does not take all the oxygen out of the package. A smaller sized OUKPAK may be used to absorb the left over oxygen.
Carbon dioxide gas replacement and mixed carbon dioxide-nitrogen gas replacement are not recommended for use with OUKPAK, as carbon dioxide will inhibit oxygen absorption.
5. Can OUKPAK be used in combination with a moisture absorber?
Yes, it can. However, using both together may degrade the performance of OUKPAK if they come in contact with each other.
6. I only use a few oxygen absorbers at a time. Will opening and closing the master bag affect the performance of OUKPAK?
Repeated opening and closing of the master bag is not advised as it will cause the OUKAPK to come into contact with air as many times as the bag has been opened. If only small quantities are going to be used, we recommend that you divide them into small quantities and place them into high gas barrier bags as to reduce the frequency of exposure to air.
7. How long of a shelf life do the oxygen absorbers themselves have?
If left sealed in the original master bag they came in, we can guarantee the effectiveness of OUKPAK will last 24 months after production.
8. Sometimes OUKAPK heats up during production packaging, is this normal?
If the master bag containing a self-reacting type of OUKPAK is left open, or if the individual sachets are taken one by one from the master bag, heat generated from the reactions of OUKPAK may accumulate in the bag, causing the bag to feel hot. Always spread out the sachets on a tray to avoid decreased performance. The roll and belt types may become hot during use, but this will not affect performance as long as they are used within the specified handling time.
9. We had no problems in winter, but food spoilage occurred sooner when it became warmer.
In winter, the air temperature is low and the air is dry; consequently, the ability of microorganisms to propagate is reduced. The amount of microorganisms in the production environment and the initial number of viable bacteria are reduced, and microorganism growth during storage is suppressed; thus, food can be stored efficiently. However, when the weather is warm, microorganisms such as yeast and facultative anaerobes, which can grow in anaerobic conditions, will grow rapidly and may cause food to spoil earlier.
When OUKPAK is used with food susceptible to the growth of mold and food spoilage, storage testing in winter alone is not sufficient. Please conduct storage testing of the actual packaging material again during seasons with higher temperatures, reevaluate the type and size of OUKPAK used, and set the expire date accordingly.
Please note that oxygen absorbers are not effective in preventing spoilage due to anaerobic microorganisms. You should always carefully test your product to determine whether you have a problem with these organisms or not.
10. When OUKPAK is used, products seem to become drier. Is this because OUKPAK absorbs the moisture content of foods?
OUKPAK is not a moisture absorber. Self-reacting OUKPAK contains the moisture in itself and does not absorb the product moisture content. Water-dependent OUKPAK utilizes the moisture content in the atmosphere for reactions but not to an extent that may affect the food composition.
11. Can OUKPAK be used with liquid products?
OUKPAK is not designed to be in direct contact with liquid. Except CO2 ABSORBER used for kimchi packaging.