• 5 years ago
Topic: Rancidity
Why is a bag of chips half full?
Looks like you don't believe me.
Open the bag.
See I told you.
The bag of chips is indeed half full.
Why is that so?
It is mainly because of a concept called rancidity.
When food becomes rancid, it develops an unpleasant smell and taste and it becomes unsafe for consumption.
Rancidity generally refers to a condition where the fats and oils present in food get oxidized, resulting in food spoilage.
Since the chips contain fats and oils, they are likely to get rancid.
Therefore, to prevent this, nitrogen gas is flushed into bags of chips by manufacturers.
But, why nitrogen?
Nitrogen does not react with fats and oils.
As a result, rancidity does not take place.
Moreover, a gas in the bag serves as a cushioning agent and prevents the chips from crumbling.
That is why the bag of chips is only filled till half.