Modified Atmosphere

Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) is well established in the food industry and continues to gain in importance. MAP means, simply put, that the natural ambient air in the package is replaced by a gas or gas mixture, often nitrogen and carbon dioxide. This packaging under a protective atmosphere preserves the quality of fresh produce over a longer period of time, prolongs shelf-life, and gives food producers access to a geographically larger market for perishable products. This is suitable for meat and sausage products, dairy products, bread, fruits and vegetables, fish or convenience products.

Modified atmospheres are not only used in packaging. They can feature as part of the production process, e.g. in the case of minced meat, or of storage and transport, for example of fruit and vegetables in halls or containers.

The standards required by Modified Atmosphere Packaging are comparatively high and have to be controlled and monitored to ensure safety. Therefore, food manufacturers rely on modern MAP gas technology and various levels of quality assurance for maximum process safety.

The following figure displays a gas mixture composition for each product:

For more information about modified Atmosphere, please click on the following PDF:

Sources

WITT. (n,d). How Modified Atmosphere Packaging extends the shelf life of food products. Retrieved December 8th, 2020 from https://www.wittgas.com/consulting-service/white-papers/modified-atmosphere-packaging/