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The supermarket chain Safeway has become a fan of preserving food with the
inert gas argon. It says fresh pasta has a short shelf life unless the container
is filled with a mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide. But the CO₂
discolours the food. The answer, claims Safeway, is to use a mixture of 80 per
cent argon and 20 per cent CO₂ (GB 2 332 896). In another patent
filing, the company says that wine sold in boxes can become oxidised, impairing
its flavour. Safeway’s answer is to bubble argon through the wine before it is
stored in a box (GB 2 230 761).