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To get the freshest cup of coffee, the coffee beans must be preserved correctly. Many coffee enthusiasts are aware of the beans’ active nature post-roasting. Within the first few weeks of roasting, the beans continue to release carbon dioxide. Fresh air, moisture, and/or oxygen will cause the beans’ aroma and flavor to diminish. For coffee brands, the challenge is to keep beans fresh from roaster to consumer, and one-way valves on coffee bags have become the standard solution. In our 20 years of experience in the food grade flexible packaging industry, we have seen coffee valve bags change the way coffee businesses approach freshness and how it positively impacts their brands.
Science Behind Coffee's Freshness and Correct Method of Degassing
Roasted coffee beans give off carbon dioxide which can build up and leak, or even make a bag burst if the bag does not have a way to release the gas. If a bag is sealed, the gas can also increase the rate of oxidation, which can deteriorate the coffee's flavor. One way gas vents allow gas to escape while blocking outside air from entering the bag. The way the vents work uses a flexible membrane that opens to allow gas to escape, and then closes to form a seal to prevent outside air. the food science to support this is that controlled release of gases, without the presence of air, can increase the shelf life of coffee up to 3 times the regular sealed bags. This has been proven in the practice of the team with hundreds of coffee roasters and the data has shown consistent results. The valve bags sustain the original roast profile.
How One Way Valves Block Out Contaminants from the Outside
Outside of releasing excess carbon dioxide, coffee freshness is about keeping out the bad stuff. One of the biggest enemies of coffee is oxygen — it causes oxidation that makes the coffee flat and bitter. Water, humidity and moisture can cause the coffee to become stale or even grow mold, and light and heat can break down the essential oils that give the coffee its taste. One way valves create oxygen and moisture free environments in combination with high barrier food grade packaging materials. The food grade plastics that are used to make the valves are compliant to the global safety standards, and combined with special sealing technologies, provide a hermetic seal that prevents 100% of moisture and dust from getting in . One way valves are the opposite of perforated bags — where perforated bags allow for a two way exchange, one way valves create a single, one way flow, keeping the coffee internal environment free from microorganisms and stable, for a long time.
Commitment to Global Food Safety and Freshness Standards
As food and beverage goods (including coffee and coffee packaging) are subject to strict global food and beverage safety regulations, all of our packaging solutions, including our valve bags, are fully compliant and certified to Global Food Safety Standards, including scintific FDA compliance 21CFR 177.1520, which is considered the gold standard in food contact plastics. This means all of the bag components, including the valve membranes and packaging films, are safe and non-toxic to food (and coffee bean) contact. Our coffee packaging solutions are also designed to be EU compliant and thus accepted for use in coffee brands selling in NA, EU, and AS regions. Coffee roasters seek packaging that maintains and prolongs the freshness of coffee. But equally important is the packaging being compliant with regional and global packaging laws. With certification and compliance from third-party organizations, including AZT Technology Services, our valve bags fulfill all of these requirements.
Results Matter to Coffee Brands and Their Valve Coffee Bags
Stating theories is simple, but damage to a company’s bottom line is a far more serious problem. Over the last 20 years, we've worked with more than 30 coffee roasters in 10 different countries, and from all kinds of sizes, and all of them have cited remarkable improvements in how our valve coffee bags have helped retain the freshness of their product. A small batch roaster in Europe told us their coffee bags would maintain the smell of freshly roasted coffee for 8 weeks after packaging, while bags without a valve would only retain the smell for 2 weeks. One of the largest commercial coffee brands in Asia, after using our valve bags, received 40% less complaints about their coffee being stale and their coffee was re-purchased 25% more in 6 months. These results are not only based on subjective experience, but also customer satisfaction and sales, and are a testament to how valve coffee bags help brands keep their promises.
The Long-Term Business Value of Valve Bags
When you invest in valve bags, you make an economic decision that yields long-term value for your business because of the enhanced freshness that the bags provide. Bags that contain greater freshness result in less waste because coffee beans that go stale would otherwise be discarded before they can be sold. This ultimately saves coffee roasters costs, enabling wider profit margins. Additionally, greater freshness of coffee yields higher satisfaction levels among customers, making them become repeat buyers. This creates positive word-of-mouth and boosts the coffee brand. Furthermore, valve bags create an image of prestige and high value coffee, enhancing the company brand on the shelves with other competitors. This helps large roasters too, as bulk buying of valve bags becomes economical due to our production ability of 8000 kgs of film every day. This ensures even the largest coffee brands a consistent and reliable supply.
Coffee brands wanting to improve customer loyalty and retention need to focus on enhancing their freshness factor using the right valve coffee bags. We have two decades of experience working with food grade flexible packaging and have developed an FDA approved high barrier material. We design unique valve coffee bags for every brand including small batch artisanal roasters and large commercial brands, in over 30 countries. Our ODM and OEM services integrate valve technology with custom designs and personalized packaging. This ensures that your coffee bags protect the freshness of the coffee and also attract customer attention to the product. For coffee brands wanting to improve their freshness offering and add customer loyalty, investing in high quality valve bags is key.