Great Jerky Causing Greasy Bag

I observe this frequently with my jerky and chip snacks.

Oil molecules can slowly move into and through polyethylene.

Polyethylene isn’t completely solid at the molecular level. It has tiny spaces between its polymer chains, and some oil molecules can work their way through those spaces over time.

How fast that happens depends on the type of oil, the type and thickness of the polyethylene, temperature, and how long they’re in contact. Smaller oil molecules move through more easily than larger ones.

So polyethylene is generally oil-resistant, but it isn’t necessarily completely oil-proof.

Ryan, solid explanation, as always. Good to know the oil is going from the jerky out and not the plastic leaching into my food. I’m sure there are better containers or ways to store such foods, but it sounds like I won’t worry about it given the infrequency. Not to mention the problem is mostly solved by double bagging. I was especially careful because it created a messy situation and we were in bear country of course.

There are more specialized plastic bags with barrier layers if this is a concern. And sous vide bags will work better. These are all more expensive options.

Thank you for the explanation Ryan.

it can leak through the zip closure