The use of vacuum packaging significantly increases the shelf life of paneer. The type of packaging material also plays an important role in improvement of shelf life.

Vacuum packaging in a laminated or co-extruded film helps in enhancing the shelf life of paneer to a great extent. (Ref: Sachdeva S, Singh S. Shelf life of paneer as affected by antimicrobial agents. Part I. Effect on sensory characteristics. Indian J Dairy Sci. 1990;43(1):60–63.)

Paneer packed in a high barrier film with vacuum and heat treated at 90 °C for one min reported to have a shelf life of up to 90 days under refrigeration. (Ref: Punjrath JS, Kumar R, Bandyopadhyay P (1997) Tapping the potential of traditional dairy foods. In: Souvenir, 28th Dairy Industry Conference, Bangalore, April 27–29)

Advantages

• Increased Shelf Life - Studies have shown that vacuum packaging can improve  product shelf life from 50%-400%. Shelf-life of vacuum packaged Paneer shown a big improvement.
• It is a chosen form of packaging for paneer and cheese storage around the world.
• Reduced Product Loss – Vacuum barrier packaging material protects paneer from loss of moisture.
• No Chemical Preservatives Required for storage of paneer with Vacuum packaging. Vacuum Packaging eliminates the need for chemical preservatives.

Added Technologies for Paneer Vacuum Packaging

A liquid at low pressure has a lower boiling point. So wet and liquid products rapidly reach their boiling point during the vacuum packaging cycle. Reduced pressure in the vacuum chamber causes fluids to boil at room temperature. The "Vaposense" technology by Sevana detects the evaporation of the liquid product. The machine then stops the vacuuming process and proceeds automatically to the next set process.