Vacuum packaging entails removing air from around the product and preserving the modified atmosphere by means of air-tight barrier packaging. This removes air from around the product to prevent bacteria, moulds and yeast growth, which, in effect, extends the shelf life 3-5 times as compared with standard one when goods are kept in cool storage. While not a new solution, it has been finding more and more applications lately. Due to the fact that the volume of food preservatives is getting lower and lower, vacuum packaging and its variations constitute about the only viable alternative to extend products' shelf life with no preservatives.

Vacuum packaging also helps reduce product shrinking, as air-tight barrier packaging does not allow for humidity loss nor vaporisation. It is an excellent assortment method for deliveries to supermarkets, as it enables product screening by clients, who can physically touch the product in cool storage. Due to the ever-increasing volume of printed packaging, marketing of vacuum-packed goods becomes more and more prominent

Standard packaging methods are:
- vacuum packaging in vacuum chamber machines
- vacuum packaging in MAP (modified atmosphere)
- vacuum packaging in tray sealer type machines
- vacuum packaging in thermoforming machines using film rolls