A set of experiments to test which gas preserves foods the best.

Abstract:

The experiment was done to understand which gas will help keep the foods fresh for a longer period and avoid spoilage. Different gasses were used in this experiment such as – Nitrogen, Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide etc. and the foods were preserved with these gases. After two weeks the foods were checked to see which gas worked better. And according to the results Nitrogen showed much effectiveness compared to other gasses and it kept the foods fresh. 

Introduction:

Food preservation is essential for reducing waste and ensuring food safety. Altering the air around food is one technique to make it stay fresher longer. Gasses such as Oxygen, Nitrogen and Carbon Dioxide are usually used to preserve food quality. This experiment aims to determine which gas, or combination of gases, best maintains different kinds of food over time with an emphasis on texture, freshness, and appearance. 

Hypothesis:

Nitrogen is thought to be the most effective gas for food preservation since it is inert and does not promote bacterial development. So, my hypothesis is Nitrogen will show less spoilage and help preserve the foods for a longer period compared to other gases. 

Materials:

1. Potato Chips

2, Hamburger

3. White Bread

4. Different types of Gases for example – Oxygen, Nitrogen, Argan, Carbon Dioxide, Helium, Sulfur Hexafluoride.

Methods:

1. Choose different types of foods. In this experiment Potato chips, Hamburger and White bread are being tested. 

2. Put each food in separate plastic sealed bags.

3. Fill each plastic bag with the appropriate gases using the gas cylinders. After adding the gas, make sure the plastic bags are tightly shut. Indicate which gas has been utilized by labeling each of them. 

4. Store them in the fridge. Make sure each of them has the same temperature and it stays the same over the period. 

5. Check the foods after 2 weeks and record what changes have come up and compare which gas kept the foods fresh for a long period of time and which gas provided spoilage. 

Results:

After storing the foods with different gases for 2 weeks here are the observations-

1. Hamburger with Oxygen- It made the hamburger look excellent for a longer time and it made the hamburger look pink.

2. Hamburger with Argan- Argan had more water. So, it pulled a lot of moisture and then condensed a lot. It made the hamburger look pale, the edges were darker, and the bottom of the patty was paler.

3.Hamburger with Sulfur Hexafluoride- It also pulled out the moisture like Argan did. It has slightly a darker color change in the meat compared to Argan but less than Oxygen.

4. Hamburger with Helium- It looks greyer and smells about like the Oxygen, but the Oxygen looks more red.

5. Hamburger with CO2- It made the patty look a little bit tough and it looked old.

6. Hamburger with Nitrogen- It was the same as Oxygen, but it was not as red as Oxygen and not as gray as C02. 

Now, let’s dive into potato chips. 

1. Chips with Oxygen- The plastic bag looked full of Oxygen gas. It was crispy. 

2. Chips with Argan- Argan didn’t have much of a difference in the chips. It was crunchy too.

3. Chips with Nitrogen & Sulfur hexafluoride- It was the same as Oxygen. The air didn’t leak out of the bag, and it was crispy. 

4. Chips with helium- This one made a major difference compared to other gases. Helium leaked out through the plastic as it’s a small molecule.

Now, the bread 

1. Argan- It had condensation. But it was soaking wet. The parts that were not soaking wet, they were dry. It made the bread chewy and tough. 

2. Sulfur Hexafluoride- It was durable and hard. There were spots of wetness and spots of crunchiness.

3. Nitrogen- Bread looked the same. It was soft and fluffy. 

4. C02- This one was extra soft and felt a little damp. 

5. Oxygen- The bread was a little dried out. 

Discussion:

This experiment demonstrated that the extent to which food remains fresh is significantly influenced by various gases. Food spoils the fastest when exposed to oxygen, which causes oxidation and bacteria development. Nitrogen worked best since it does not react with the food, allowing it to remain fresh for longer. Carbon dioxide helped, but it wasn’t as effective as nitrogen as it made a odor and it changed the color of the hamburger.

Conclusion – Nitrogen will show less spoilage and it supports my hypothesis because as Nitrogen is an inert gas it doesn’t react with other foods much and the spoilage process of nitrogen is decreased slowly compared to other gases. 

Reference – “Which Gas Preserves Food Best?” The King of Random, YouTube, uploaded by TKOR, 21 Nov 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo8nqIXAOzo