Do you want to improve your packaging, or are you looking for a better packaging option? Either reason, you should choose modified atmosphere packaging.
This is the best packaging solution as it can keep the food’s freshness, color, and taste for days to months. For this, it only uses different gases for certain products.
To learn details about MAP, let’s dive into the below-
If you want to keep fresh fish, meat, vegetables, etc, and increase their shelf life, modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) is your only option. This is a revolutionary method of packaging for perishable food.
Basically, MAP removes the oxygen and includes carbon dioxide and other gases during the packaging process. Therefore, it slows down the growth of bacteria and maintains the color and texture of the food products.
Let’s take a look at the use of several materials in a modified atmosphere packaging here-
Typically, modified atmosphere packaging has two types, however, each one has other kinds with unique features. I have described all of them in the below section; read them thoroughly-
It involves actively altering the gas composition inside a package to extend product shelf life. This technique replaces the natural atmosphere with a mix of gases, such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide. This way, active modified packaging slows down spoilage and maintains freshness in food products.
These scavenger or desiccant packs contain a combination of iron, carbon, and acid. When placed in bags or containers, they can absorb oxygen.
Therefore, you can use these MAPs for various of industry for packing items, for instance-
This is a type of MAP where the air inside a package is replaced with a specific gas mix, usually nitrogen or carbon dioxide. The process slows down oxidation, microbial growth, and spoilage. So, it is ideal for perishable goods.
Let’s see a few packages you can use gas flushing-
Another popular MAP option is on-package or one-way packaging valves. These valves can release gases inside the package and prevent air from entering from outside. The coffee and tea industries usually use this method more often.
For some of the bag options, you can use the valves-
If you use breathable films in the packaging, they can diffuse gases. For this, you have to select the best packaging films that can absorb the moisture of the products.
Vacuum skin packaging (VSP) is a MAP method where the product is tightly sealed in a skin-tight film with most of the air removed. This process preserves the product’s freshness by reducing oxygen exposure and preventing spoilage.
You can use vacuum skin packaging in these pouches-
This is another passive method in MAP. Barrier films are used in controlled atmosphere packaging on the inside of the bags to block oxygen, water, and other properties. Therefore, the products can increase shelf life.
It is a flexible process and can match these items-
Modified Atmosphere Packaging works by controlling the atmosphere surrounding a product inside its packaging to extend its shelf life. The process involves replacing the air in the package with a specific blend of gases, usually carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and even oxygen. You should adjust the gases depending on the product’s needs.
This gas mixture helps slow down the growth of bacteria and mold. Also, it can reduces oxidation, and maintain the product’s freshness, flavor, and texture. MAP is commonly used in the food industry for perishable items.
Here, let’s see how MAP controls the atmosphere of the food inside the packaging-
With competitive price and timely delivery, Anasheen sincerely hope to be your supplier and partner.
You can use different automated machines for modified atmosphere packaging based on your production types and requirements.
A Thermoforming modified atmosphere packaging machine utilizes thermoforming technology to shape plastic film into packages, which are then filled with products. This is an automatic machine that can work at a high speed.
If you have a specific requirement, you can customize the thermoforming machine according to product size. The machine offers precise control over temperature and atmosphere, ensuring the quality of various food items.
This combines vacuum sealing with modified atmosphere techniques to protect food from spoilage and oxidation. The machine removes air from the packaging and replaces it with nitrogen gas or carbon dioxide.
Therefore, you can use this vacuum MAP machine to preserve the quality of meats, cheeses, and ready-to-eat meals. This MAP machine will ensure the food remains safe and flavorful over time.
With this MAP machine, you can form pouches or other bags and then fill them with products. Before sealing, this machine inputs gas to maintain the quality of the food. Whether you have the pharmaceutical, food, and beverages industry, you can use this machine. However, this machine can be two types, such as-
MAP Tray Packaging Equipment: This machine seals the tray and injects gas to prevent mold, keeping the product fresh for many days. It can also print information on the package.
MAP Fin Seal Flow Wrap Equipment: It can offer a customized option for your specific packaging choice. This machine can also print film that is ideal for single food content, like a tray with meat pieces.
MAP Band Sealing Equipment: Typically, this sealing machine puts gas inside the package and seals it.
Now you are expert and know everything about modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), from its definitions, applications, benefits, and cons. So, if you want to keep your food tasting as fresh as organic and maintain quality for months, use MAP in your industry.
But if you need professional help choosing the best packaging machine, you can contact us. Our professional R&D team will assist you.
What are the gases used in modified atmosphere packaging?
Gases like nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and even oxygen are commonly used in modified atmosphere packaging. Therefore, nitrogen helps displace oxygen and reduce food spoilage. At the same time, carbon dioxide inhibits microbial growth and slows down the ripening process. Also, by controlling oxygen levels, you can maintain food items’ freshness and quality.
What temperature is modified atmosphere packaging stored at?
Typically, modified atmosphere packaging is stored at 0-5°C. This temperature helps to slow down microbial growth and preserve the product’s quality. Often, the ideal storage temperature can vary depending on the specific product and its packaging.
Is modified atmosphere packaging safe?
Yes, modified atmosphere packaging is safe and sustainable as it only uses gases to protect the food from bacteria. This way, it can reduce food waste. However, nonrecyclable plastic can impact environmental pollution. So, try to choose materials that are reusable and recyclable.
The choice of sealing film is very important in modified atmosphere packaging. Different food products have different requirements for packaging film. For example, cooked food and fresh food industries need high barrier film materials. For vegetables and fruits, they need high permeability packaging materials. Because each kind of food has different requirements for packaging film, so when choosing packaging film materials in modified atmosphere packaging, it is necessary to select suitable film materials according to the characteristics of food materials, otherwise the effect of modified atmosphere packaging will be greatly reduced.
For the packaging film of cooked food, the main reason for choosing high barrier film material is that the modified atmosphere packaging of cooked food mainly prevents oxidation of products by isolating oxygen, and prolongs the shelf life. Now the film belongs to multi-layer supply film, which has a certain oxygen permeability, if oxygen permeability. When food is stored for a period of time, the oxygen concentration in the packaging box will rise due to gas exchange with air, which will affect the shelf life of food.
We take ordinary nylon film as an example, usually in 200*140*35 boxes, the residual oxygen in the box is about 1-2% after 4-5 days. Right, the residual oxygen content of different PP films ranges from 2% to 3%, while the residual oxygen content of high barrier nylon films remains at about 0.5%. For the delicatessen industry, the lower the residual oxygen content (under the same conditions) the longer the fresh-keeping period. Therefore, in the modified atmosphere packaging of delicatessen, it is better to choose high barrier film materials. Generally, the better the high barrier nylon film materials are. The 24-hour oxygen permeability OTR of the diaphragm is less than 5cc/(23 C), which is realized by compounding an EVOH isolation layer in the packaging film. It is mainly used for cooked food with high freshness requirement and long time.
However, in order to save the cost of cooked food, the oxygen permeability OTR should be at least less than 30-30 cc/(23 C), and the membrane with less than 10 days’fresh-keeping time is not recommended.
Here, we should also emphasize that the shelf life of food is not only determined by high barrier film material. Packaging material is only an important part of the factors that effect packaging quality, including packaging machine quality, packages’ storage environment.
For fruits and vegetables, the choice of modified atmosphere packaging film is very different from that of cooked food industry. Because fruits and vegetables need breathing, when choosing packaging materials, most of them need to choose high permeability film materials, such as ordinary PP and PE. This film has better air permeability, and can better exchange gas with the external environment to make the bag. If the high barrier packaging material is chosen, because there is no way to exchange the atmosphere with the outside, the fermentation of food materials will occur in the anoxic environment, which will be more disadvantageous to the fresh-keeping packaging of fruits and vegetables.
The principle of modified atmosphere packaging of fruits and vegetables is different from that of fresh and cooked food, and the requirements for film are also different. On the contrary, it requires a certain permeability of the membrane, which can dynamically supplement the low concentration of oxygen needed for dormancy of fruits and vegetables.
The principle of modified atmosphere packaging for fruits and vegetables is to replace the air in packaging boxes or bags by using modified atmosphere fresh-keeping gases (2-4 kinds of gases are mixed according to the characteristics of food), change the external environment of food in boxes (bags), inhibit the growth and reproduction of bacteria (microorganisms), slow down the metabolism of fresh fruits and vegetables, and prolong the shelf life or shelf of food. Period. Take fresh fruits and vegetables as an example: fresh fruits and vegetables are still breathing after harvesting, consuming CO2 to produce CO2, gradually increasing the content of CO2 in the environment and reducing the concentration of O2. High permeability plastic film can exchange gas with the atmosphere to supplement the consumption of CO2 and discharge CO2. When the permeation rate of gas to the film is equal to the respiration rate of fruits and vegetables, the gas in the packaging bag reaches a certain equilibrium concentration, which can maintain a weak respiration rate without anaerobic respiration, and delay the ripening of fruits and vegetables to fresh-keeping. Modified atmosphere packaging can ensure food taste, nutritional composition and fresh-keeping period without using preservatives and additives.
Therefore, for the modified atmosphere packaging of fruits and vegetables, we need to choose the film material with high permeability. Of course, for different food materials, the breathing rate is different, storage and sale problems are also different. This in the selection of film, we need to adjust according to the different food materials, in general, for the fruit. Modified atmosphere packaging of vegetables, film permeability is required.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of MAP Barrier Tray. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.