Nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless and inert gas, but more importantly it is so versatile that its use in a multitude of industries is advantageous, both in the form of nitrogen gas and in the form of liquid nitrogen.
But what is nitrogen and what is it used for? Here is a brief overview of the main data, characteristics, and especially the main uses of this gas in the food industry.
Nitrogen is a gas that makes up about 78% of the Earth’s atmosphere.
In fact, nitrogen is an essential element for life and the nutrition of organisms. It constitutes many biological molecules and is used in crop fertilizers.
Where is nitrogen found in foods? The most nitrogen-containing foods are meat (especially beef and pork), fish, eggs, dairy products, grains and legumes.
At the industrial level, nitrogen has numerous applications that result in both improved production processes and better quality products.
Here are listed the main ones:
Nitrogen ensures proper storage of food liquids by reducing or eliminating the presence of air (and thus oxygen), inhibits bacterial growth, reduces the damaging effects of moisture, and protects the conduction system from external contamination.
Because of all these properties, nitrogen has extensive use in the food industry to preserve foods from losing some of their organoleptic characteristics.
Here are the main uses:
One particular application of nitrogen in food & beverage is stripping.
Nitrogen is able to remove oxygen that may already be present in food liquids, a practice that is particularly effective in bottling wine, but also for edible oils and fats.
The operation is made possible by devices called line strippers, through which gas is dispersed into the liquid in the form of microbubbles that capture oxygen, eliminating volatile contaminants. This technique makes it possible to counteract rancidity, preserve the aroma of products, and increase the shelf life of foods.
One of the most common uses of liquid nitrogen in the food industry, as an additive classified as E941, is to freeze and preserve food.
It is a liquid food gas that is also used to reduce the formation of bacteria in food and to prevent oxidation of products. Due to its ability to inhibit the growth of microorganisms, liquid nitrogen is fundamental in preserving foods such as meat, fish and baked goods, preserving their freshness and quality.
Nitrogen is produced by the process of air fractionation in which air is cooled and compressed to a liquid, then passed through fractional distillation columns that separate nitrogen from oxygen and other air components.
SIAD’s current air fractionation plants have achieved a high level of automation, all computer controlled, the control system manages the entire production cycle and plus the subsequent product distribution stage up to storage or use.
Our Group is competent in supplying nitrogen in different degrees of purity:
SIAD’s nitrogen supply and transport service is organized by various methods, from transportation in cylinders, cylinder packs or tanks, to the design and installation of nitrogen gas distribution systems created specifically for our customers’ needs.
In addition, we are committed to accompanying our customers on a fully dedicated plan from the provision of equipment for the safe use of gas, to assistance and technical advice for use, transportation, and distribution.
About us
SIAD Group, a century of history in gas production
Among Italy’s leading chemical groups, SIAD is a leader in the production and commercialization of the full range of industrial, specialty, and medicinal gases and related services. The business extends to sectors in synergy with that of gases, including Wine, Food and Beverage.
