Coffee packaging comes in different types, which are largely determined by how people prefer to make their coffee. We all know the tins and bags with ground or whole coffee beans. Both traditional coffee makers and fancy espresso machines use them. The pods for individual coffee capsule systems are a more recent success. And then there are the bulk bags that coffee shops use. For each of these packaging types, there is a dedicated filling and packaging machine. These include vertical form fill seal (VFFS) machines, capsule packing, and tin filling machines.

As explained before, coffee loses its flavor and freshness quickly after it has been roasted and ground. Coffee that is not properly stored after it is roasted will lose a large amount of carbon dioxide. This affects its flavor and speeds up the deterioration process. That is where nitrogen comes in. More specifically, that is why packaging is inerted with nitrogen. It expels the oxygen and moisture that can make coffee go bad. Nitrogen is colorless and odorless, so it has no effect on the flavor or appearance of coffee over time.

Of course, not any nitrogen will do. Roasteries must follow European and global standards for food-grade nitrogen. This is to prevent oxygen contamination, which can cause entire product batches to get discarded.