Common Myths About Mylar Bags and Chemical Safety

 

When people talk about Mylar Bags in prepper forums, food storage guides, or similar forums it is important to know that many things being said about them aren't actually true. Many of the myths surrounding these bags are surprisingly robust over time.

One of the most common myths is the idea that all flexible packaging acts the same. However, in reality, Mylar Bags are actually laminated systems that are much more stable than single layer plastics. Many times, there isn't a clear distinction given, which creates unnecessary concern.

Another myth is that chemical leaching happens automatically over time. Food grade Mylar Bags are designed for use under normal storage conditions and they have had their stability tested over extended time periods. In most cases, the components that these bags are made from are inert.

One of the ways that chemicals are misconceived to be leaching from Mylar Bags, is often due to misuse of the bags. When Mylar Bags are exposed to excessive heat, or if they were to be cooked in, they will breakdown and thus an assumption is made that this behaviour is indicative of the normal storage use for these bags. Many other food safe materials will have the same behaviour occur from improper use.

It is more important, than many people realize, to use quality materials when making Mylar Bags for food storage. While they may look and act similarly, bags made with non-food grade materials or without proper lamination controls will often underperform when compared to bags designed with food grade materials, and produced under proper quality controls. Many negative anecdotes regarding Mylar Bags arise from the performance differences that occur in materials described in the preceding paragraph.

Our blog "Do Mylar Bags Leach Chemicals?" will walk you through the science of Mylar and provide information on the specific conditions and usage limitations that matter when it comes to chemical safety.  If you want to distinguish between risks that have been created by the internet and actual risks associated with using Mylar Bags, this blog entry will help you in making that assessment.