As a food manufacturer, you pour your heart and soul into crafting an exceptional product. From sourcing premium ingredients to upholding rigorous standards during your manufacturing process, you leave no stone unturned. Now, the final challenge lies ahead – delivering your masterpiece to customers in impeccable condition, standing out among a sea of competitors on store shelves. And that’s where food packaging design comes into play, not only as a brand message and differentiator but also as a complex technical puzzle.
Enter Modified Atmosphere Packaging, a game-changing food packaging method that protects and extends the shelf life of your food items.
By replacing the ambient air around your product with carefully curated gas mixtures, MAP helps retailers maximise profits by maintaining the freshness of their products.
Air, essential for life, can lead to undesirable processes when in contact with food. Nitrogen, the primary component of air, remains inert and doesn’t promote the growth of harmful bacteria, yeasts or moulds. On the flip side, oxygen can cause chemical interactions, altering appearance or causing fats and oils to turn rancid.
Leveraging this knowledge, we harness gases like carbon dioxide and nitrogen in MAP to inhibit bacterial and fungal growth while preserving food quality.
Unlocking the potential of MAP (Modified Atmosphere Packaging) gases
In the world of Modified Atmosphere Packaging, common choices include mixtures of carbon dioxide with nitrogen or oxygen. Carbon dioxide prevents bacteria and fungi from reproducing, all while reacting with water to form a carbonic acid. This acid preserves the food’s freshness while allowing Oxygen to work hard in maintaining the vibrant red colour of many meats.
The flexibility of MAP (Modified Atmosphere Packaging)
Adopting Modified Atmosphere Packaging doesn’t mean compromising on your unique product characteristics.
Leading industrial gas companies offer MAP gases for specific food types in pre-mixed cylinders. For larger food processors, gas mixing on-site provides an added layer of flexibility, allowing you to tailor the gas mixture to your needs.
Demystifying the packaging process
Sometimes, the gas mixture measured in the pack may not align with the one provided by the supply system. Is there somehow oxygen in the mix when there shouldn’t be? Could carbon dioxide have vanished?
Rest assured, we’ll guide you through this mystery step by step, providing an in-depth understanding of your gas analysis.
Perfecting your food packaging process together
Your journey to the perfect gas mixture lies in the collaboration between your food packing machine manufacturer and gas supplier.
Fine-tuning your machine’s gas purge efficiency, adjusting parameters and maintaining proper calibration will all contribute to the minimisation of air in your packs.
By doing this, we can ensure an impeccable gas composition and product quality.
Embracing innovation in food packaging
Innovation and excellence go hand in hand. By continually optimising gas purge efficiency, you’ll elevate your food products’ quality and shelf life.
The result? Superior offerings that are sure to leave your customers delighted.
Reach out to BSL for expert support
We understand the challenges you face, and we’re here to help you conquer them. Whether it’s fine-tuning your food packaging processes or exploring innovative solutions, feel free to reach out.
Together, we’ll pave the way for excellence in all areas of your manufacturing process.
Get in touch with us via solutions@bslgastech.com or give us a call on +44(0)1634 661100 to find out more.
If you’re interested in reading our other blog posts, you can do that here. Make sure you’re following us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube so that you never miss an update from us.
