HOW DOES NICHROME’S MAP TECHNOLOGY WORK?
MAP or Modified Atmosphere Packaging is a widely used technique of preservation when it comes to food packaging. MAP technology like that in a tray sealing machine is gaining more and more popularity as a method of preserving freshness and lengthening the shelf life of fresh foods - fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy products and more. It is a notable method of preventing spoilage and extending the shelf life of various food products. So what is MAP technology? Atmospheric air is a combination of 3 elements - N2 (79%), O2 (20.96%), CO2 (0.04%) and traces of inert gases and vapour. MAP packaging, sometimes known as controlled atmosphere packaging, is the method of modifying the makeup of the internal atmosphere of a package using a modified atmosphere packaging machine - usually food packages and medicines - in order to improve the shelf life of the packed products. This technology was developed to deal with the short shelf life of certain food products such as meat, fish, poultry and dairy in the presence of oxygen. The presence of oxygen in the packaging leads to the lipid oxidation of the food product. Oxygen contributes to the shortened shelf life of fresh produce because it leads to high respiration rates. Even microbiologically, Oxygen catalyses the growth of aerobic spoilage microorganisms. It is plainly obvious that a reduction in oxygen and its replacement with more suitable gases can deter or reduce oxidation reactions and microbiological spoilage. MAP food packaging using a MAP tray sealer generally involves the lowering of the amount of oxygen in the headspace within the package. Nitrogen - a comparatively inert gas - or carbon dioxide can be used to replace oxygen.