Have you ever picked up a bag of chips at the store and noticed that it feels unnaturally, almost comically puffed up with air? It is easy to look at it and think the store is trying to cheat you, or that it is just a packaging mistake. But as it turns out, that extra space is often entirely intentional.

Some products, like delicate potato chips, have extra air, or more accurately, a special blend of gases inside to protect them from being crushed into dust during transportation. This extra space acts as a cushion, ensuring your chips are as crispy and perfect as you expect them to be when you finally open the bag at home. On the other hand, some foods have packaging with absolutely no air at all. This is particularly true for perishable, delicate items like block cheeses, deli meats, and sausages. The absence of air, often called vacuum sealing, helps prevent the growth of harmful microorganisms, maintaining the freshness, flavor, and safety of the product until it reaches your table.