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Delivery & Storage

Handling Vacuum Packed Products

IMS of Smithfield prioritise the utmost care and safety in the delivery and storage of our products. At our butchers, we recognise the critical significance of proper delivery and storage combined with handling techniques to ensure our meat products’ quality, freshness, and safety. Vacuum packing plays a vital role in preserving the flavour, texture, and shelf life of our meats, and we are committed to educating our customers on the importance of handling these products correctly. By following appropriate guidelines, you can enjoy the full benefits of vacuum-packed meats and experience the exceptional taste and tenderness our butcher shop offers.

1. Remove the meat/poultry completely from the vacuum packing at least 45 minutes prior to cooking

2. Once the product is free from packaging, the oxygen will start to return to the muscles – please ensure that the product is kept refrigerated during this period

3. During the 45-minute period, you will notice that the colour of the meat will be restored to its natural look, and the strong odour would have dispersed

4. The product will now be ready for cooking

Removing/restricting the oxygen passage to meat helps preserve the food for longer. Oxygen is one of the main accelerators of micro bacteria/ pathogen growth, which spoils food and may increase the risk of food poisoning accordingly. Therefore, all meat and poultry products must be vacuum packed to help decrease bacteria on the foods you serve.

Removing the oxygen from any foodstuffs, such as meat and poultry, will obviously have an effect on the appearance and the odour. Therefore when you remove the product from the vacuum packaging, it will appear different to expected and have an odour which will be restored once you have followed the above procedure.

Freezing Poultry from Vacuum Packed
Follow the decanting procedure above before freezing poultry products that have been supplied vacuum-packed.