Vacuum packaging also allows for a special cooking method, sous-vide. Sous-vide, French for under vacuum, involves poaching food that is vacuum sealed in a plastic bag.

When foods are frozen without preparation, freezer burn can occur. It happens when the surface of the food is dehydrated, and this leads to a dried and leathery appearance. Freezer burn also ruins the flavor and texture of foods. Vacuum packing reduces freezer burn by preventing the food from exposure to the cold, dry air.

Depending on the product, the shelf life of vacuum packaged products can easily exceed 6-times normal bagged or wrapped packages. Non-food products can last indefinitely in the low oxygen environment of vacuum packaging. For example: vacuum packed beef can last up to six weeks refrigerated, and much longer when frozen.