We are going to align with the US Dept of Agriculture on this one: Proper packaging helps maintain quality and prevent freezer burn. It is safe to freeze meat or poultry directly in its original packaging, however this type of wrap is permeable to air and quality may diminish over time. For prolonged storage, overwrap these packages as you would any food for long-term storage. It is not necessary to rinse meat and poultry. Freeze unopened vacuum packages as is. If you notice that a package has accidentally been torn or has opened while food is in the freezer, the food is still safe to use; merely overwrap or rewrap it.
About vacuum packaging, we defer to the National Center for Home Food Preservation: http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/uga/vacuum_packaging.html
We are going to align with the US Dept of Agriculture on this one: Proper packaging helps maintain quality and prevent freezer burn. It is safe to freeze meat or poultry directly in its original packaging, however this type of wrap is permeable to air and quality may diminish over time. For prolonged storage, overwrap these packages as you would any food for long-term storage. It is not necessary to rinse meat and poultry. Freeze unopened vacuum packages as is. If you notice that a package has accidentally been torn or has opened while food is in the freezer, the food is still safe to use; merely overwrap or rewrap it.
About vacuum packaging, we defer to the National Center for Home Food Preservation: http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/uga/vacuum_packaging.html