General / August 29, 2024
Have you ever wondered why the coffee aisle at your supermarket smells so good? The aroma of roasted coffee can be strong as you pass by the bags on the shelves, but why can you smell them at all? Shouldn’t the coffee be sealed up tight to keep it fresh? The simple answer is that it is, except for the little vent on coffee bags.
Why do coffee bags have vents? This valve on a coffee bag does more than give you a sneak preview of your next steaming cup of joe — it serves an important function in helping you get the highest quality out of your beans.
If you look at standard flexible coffee packaging from the store, you should find a tiny slit somewhere toward the top. This is part of what’s known as the coffee degassing valve, which allows some of what’s inside the bag to escape. These are important for a few reasons beyond giving you a whiff of the bag’s contents.
During the roasting process, beans start to release carbon dioxide. They continue to off-gas long after they are fully roasted, even as they wait on the shelf for you to buy them. If they were completely sealed off from the outside air, all that carbon dioxide would remain trapped inside the bag. The beans would become stale quickly and you’d lose the full richness of flavor you expect from your morning brew.
The coffee bag degassing valve also serves other purposes. For example, it is designed to allow gas to escape but prevent air from entering the bag. This helps ensure freshness by preventing the beans from being exposed to too much oxygen. By providing effective ventilation, the coffee degassing valve also prevents excess moisture from building up inside the bag.
Most coffee beans continue degassing for two to seven days after roasting. The coffee degassing valve makes it possible to package coffee beans faster, because the manufacturer doesn’t have to worry about the carbon dioxide affecting the quality of the product. The gases are allowed to escape naturally over time and the beans will reach peak freshness by the time they reach the consumer. It’s important for manufacturers to have the right valves to ensure they don’t allow too much exposure to oxygen, which can hurt the quality of the coffee given enough time.
Eagle Flexible Packaging can provide you with customized coffee packaging that gives you the most effective solution for your products. Our team has the experience to help you find the high-barrier films that meet your needs. Get in touch with us today to learn more.