CHIP CHAT

Greetings,

I would like to introduce someone to you: Nitrogen.

Have you ever wondered how such a delicate treat like potato chips stayed fresh and crunchy sitting on that shelf in that flimsy bag? (Notice I didn’t say can? Pringles aren’t chips.) Well, I’ll tell you how they stay fresh.

The “air” in potato chip bags isn’t actually “air” at all. It’s molecular nitrogen gas. When chips are being packaged, nitrogen gas is blasted into the bag and the bag is sealed. This creates an anaerobic environment inside the bag, preventing any chemical reactions from taking place. The freshness will stay in your chips when there’s no oxygen or carbon dioxide to rob the deliciousness molecules from your favorite salted snack treat. Also, the bag is filled to near capacity so that the bag material will absorb any shock or damage-causing fuck ups.

Here’s a scenario of how nitrogen came to be used in chip packaging:

Chip factory owner: “FUCK! all these chips we just made are stale in their bags!”

worker: “I ain’t makin’ more chips. not for no $6.50 an hour. fuck all that noise.”

scientist: “why don’t you put nitrogen in your bags? It’s cheap, safe and inert. It’ll keep that shit fresh!”

Chip factory owner: “NITROGEN FUCKIN’ RULES!”

scientist: “why does it smell like peanut butter and dog spit in here?”

Chip factory owner: “nevermind that.”

So, everyone. I hope I was able to clear away any mystery on why nitrogen is used in keeping your chips fresh, safe and sound.

Chips,

Gary

(science provided by: My fucking brain.)