No it doesn’t have to be vaccum packed, but it will last longer that way and taste better.
Things that I just stick in a bag and put in the freezer begin to taste off if they aren’t used right away or get lost at the bottom.
I found some packages of corn that I vacuum packed in 2014(IIRC) and I thought sure they needed to be pitched. However it was a good year for corn - so I decided to test one. It was as good tasting as the year it was grown.
That sold me on vacuum packing anything that I want to last a year or longer.
I found wrapping things in foil also works well. I do it after wrapping it in plastic wrap.
I usually do it with corn on the cob and zucchini bread, which I find works way better when made in a small loaf pan.
To make the loaf less oil sodden, I take the amount of oil and cut it in half, and replace half of it with applesauce. So for a recipe that calls for one cup of oil, I use 1/2 C oil and 1/2 C applesauce (homemade of course).
Oh, and I add mini-morsels to the batter.
Nobody wants the non-mini-morsel zucchini bread any more.