Oxygen Absorbers vs Silica Gel: Which Does Your Food Packaging Need?

Oxygen absorbers and silica gel packets may look similar, but they perform different jobs. Oxygen absorbers remove oxygen, while silica gel adsorbs moisture. Understanding this difference is the first step in choosing a sachet for your food packaging.

There are also specialist options, including anti-oil oxygen absorbers and combined oxygen and moisture absorbers.

What Is the Difference?

Product	Main function	Key distinction
Ordinary oxygen absorber	Removes oxygen from sealed packaging	Selected for oxygen control
Silica gel desiccant	Adsorbs water vapour	Selected for moisture control
Anti-oil oxygen absorber	Removes oxygen using an oil-resistant sachet	Designed for applications where oil may contact the sachet
Oxygen & moisture absorber	Absorbs oxygen and moisture together	Provides both functions in one sachet

What Does an Oxygen Absorber Do?

Iron-based oxygen absorbers contain iron powder that reacts with oxygen. This removes oxygen from the enclosed packaging environment and helps reduce oxidation.

Oxygen absorber sizes are expressed in cc, meaning cubic centimetres of oxygen. For example, 100cc represents 100mL of oxygen absorption capacity. It does not mean that the sachet is automatically suitable for a 100mL container.

Silica Bags offers OHunter oxygen absorbers in capacities from 20cc to 1000cc.

What Does Silica Gel Do?

Silica gel is a porous form of silicon dioxide. It attracts and holds water molecules on its internal surfaces through a process called adsorption.

A silica gel packet therefore controls water vapour rather than removing oxygen. For effective moisture protection, desiccants should be used within closed, moisture-barrier packaging.

Silica gel sachet sizes are commonly expressed in grams. This is the weight of the silica gel inside the sachet, not the amount of water it is guaranteed to adsorb.

Explore our silica gel packets and check the individual product specifications when selecting a sachet for food packaging.

When Is an Anti-Oil Oxygen Absorber Different?

Oil or grease coating an ordinary oxygen absorber can reduce its oxygen absorption performance.

OHunter anti-oil sachets use an anti-oil laminated PET/paper/PE film. This provides oil and water resistance, helping maintain oxygen absorption when oil contacts the sachet.

The range includes:

• 50cc Anti-Oil Oxygen Absorber

• 100cc Anti-Oil Oxygen Absorber

The anti-oil feature concerns the sachet’s resistance to oil; it does not make this product a combined moisture absorber.

What If You Need Both Oxygen and Moisture Control?

OHunter also offers sachets designed to absorb oxygen and moisture together.

Product	Oxygen capacity	Moisture absorption capacity
100cc Oxygen & Moisture Absorber	100cc per sachet	More than 0.8g per sachet
300cc Oxygen & Moisture Absorber	300cc per sachet	More than 2.2g per sachet

These products have specific restrictions: they are not suitable for foods that react with carbon dioxide, vacuum-packed foods, or applications requiring the packaging to remain deflated.

Choosing Your Packaging Sachet

Start by identifying whether you need to control oxygen, moisture, or both. Then check the product’s capacity, packaging material, food-contact information and application restrictions.

Do not assume that separate oxygen absorbers and silica gel packets can always be combined. Ask us to check suitability for your particular food and packaging.

For the OHunter oxygen absorber range listed here, use sachets within 30 minutes of opening the sealed outer pack. Follow the individual product’s storage and handling instructions.

Need Help Selecting a Product?

Contact Silica Bags with your food type, packaging material, filled pack size and the problem you want to address. We can help you review the relevant product options and specification