a quantity of livestock meat for food is charged into a package bag made of a heat - shrinkable plastic film of substantially tubular shape of constant overall length sufficient for packaging variable quantities of the meat , the bag having a bottom end closed by transverse heat sealing and an open top end and being thus charged in a manner to leave an unfilled part between the seal and the meat , a surplus bag part being left outside of the seal , and this surplus part just outside of the seal is transversely and partially cut for subsequent serverence of the surplus bag part from the package bag , which is then immersed in hot water for a few seconds to cause shrinkage of the bag tightly around the meat . the vacuum packaging operation is advantageously accomplished in vacuum chambers formed by a continuity of vacuum boxes mating with corresponding platform plates in a vacuum packaging apparatus .