{"id":351,"date":"2020-05-07T10:50:48","date_gmt":"2020-05-07T05:20:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nichrome.com\/blog\/?p=351"},"modified":"2025-09-05T17:07:15","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T11:37:15","slug":"nichrome-extending-shelf-life-of-fresh-food-with-map-technology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nichrome.com\/blog\/nichrome-extending-shelf-life-of-fresh-food-with-map-technology\/","title":{"rendered":"Nichrome: Extending shelf life of fresh food with MAP technology"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Modified\nAtmosphere Packaging (MAP)<\/strong> is the new buzz word in food packaging<\/strong><\/a>. MAP is becoming\nmore and more popular for preserving the freshness and extending the\nstorage\/shelf life of fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy products, and many\nmore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is MAP technology?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Wikipedia, “Modified\natmosphere is the practice of modifying the composition of the internal\natmosphere of a package (commonly food packages, drugs, etc.) in order to\nimprove the shelf life. The need for this technology for food arises from the\nshort shelf life of food products such as meat, fish, poultry, and dairy in the\npresence of oxygen. In food, oxygen is readily available for lipid oxidation\nreactions. Oxygen also helps maintain high respiration rates of fresh produce,\nwhich contribute to shortened shelf life. From a microbiological aspect, oxygen\nencourages the growth of aerobic spoilage microorganisms.  Therefore, the reduction of oxygen and its\nreplacement with other gases can reduce or delay oxidation reactions and\nmicrobiological spoilage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The modification process generally lowers\nthe amount of oxygen (O2<\/sub>) in the headspace of the package. Oxygen\ncan be replaced with nitrogen (N2<\/sub>), a comparatively inert gas, or\ncarbon dioxide (CO2<\/sub>). A stable atmosphere of gases inside the\npackaging can be achieved using active techniques, such as gas flushing and\ncompensated vacuum, or passively by designing \u201cbreathable\u201d films.’<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To package a product in a modified\natmosphere requires sophisticated machinery to flush out air from the packaging\nchamber and replace it with a different gas or precisely defined mixture of\ngases, then seal the product in the packaging so that only the modified\natmosphere surrounds the product and not any other unwanted gas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cutting edge technologies have been\ndeveloped to ensure that the gas mixture is the correct one, and to test that\nonce sealed, the packages contain the right mixture and do not leak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nichrome\npresents <\/strong>Athena, Thermoforming Tray Seal Machine<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tecnovac in Italy is a\nleading name in the manufacture of packaging machines for food products.  Over time it has carved out a name for itself\nin the packaging world, producing all-round automatic packaging machines<\/strong> for a wide range of products including\nfood, industrial and pharmaceutical products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nichrome, India\u2019s leading <\/strong>packaging machine\nmanufacturer <\/strong>andintegrated packaging solutions<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>provider,has collaborated to bring Tecnovac\u2019s highly successful Athena<\/strong> Automatic Tray\nSealer<\/strong><\/a> to India. Athena is capable of packaging\nfood in modified atmosphere, any combination of compatible trays and top film\nstudied for packaging chopped vegetables & fruits, raw& processed meats,\nfish, frozen food, Indian mithai, namkeens, and ready-to-eat<\/strong><\/a> meals such as biryani.\n\nUsing pre-formed trays, Athena is able to seal,\npack in a protective atmosphere (vacuum + gas) or with \u2018skin effect\u2019 all types\nof trays or jars. Due to its strong stainless steel structure and easy\nmaintenance, Athena is ideal for use in small and medium sized companies. With\nthese features and its output speed of up to 60 trays per minute, Athena should\nfind easy acceptance among India\u2019s ready-to-eat food manufacturers.\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MAP, in the time of the pandemic<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the current global situation, Athena\noffers a win-win proposition for manufacturers of food items and consumers.\nEspecially in India, where snacks, namkeens and mithai are a much-loved part of\nlife, Athena’s MAP technology will ensure that the items are packed safely,\nuntouched by human hands – thereby raising hygiene levels that all consumers\nare concerned about. Manufacturers can continue production and sale; consumers\ncan enjoy the mithai and snacks they crave with safety and cleanliness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For further details, and more expert food packaging solutions<\/strong>, talk to\nNichrome. <\/p>\n