Food packaging

Modified Atmosphere Packaging of food, or MAP, is a natural shelf-life-enhancing method that is growing rapidly on an international scale. It often complements other techniques, such as high-pressure and microwave methods or oxygen absorption. The correct gas mixture in MAP maintains high quality by retaining the original taste, texture and appearance of the foodstuff.

The gas atmosphere must be chosen with due consideration of the particular foodstuff and its properties. For low-fat products with a high moisture content, it is especially the growth of micro-organisms that has to be inhibited by using Carbon dioxide. On the other hand, should the product have a high fat content and low water activity, oxidation protection is most important and inert Nitrogen would be the preferred choice. 

MAPAX^® from Linde is a tailor-made MAP product range based on the necessary data relating to foodstuffs, gases and packaging. It relies on close cooperation between the suppliers of the packaging material, the packaging machines and the gases. The purpose of this collaboration is to meet the demands for an efficient and cost-effective packaging of foodstuffs, with consistent product quality throughout the entire distribution chain: from the packaging itself to the attractive display in the food counter. 

As international legislations and country specific regulations governing food production and handling continue to tighten, the specialty gases and gas equipment used in food production arena have become increasingly sophisticated in response to these standards. The BASELINE^® C 106 cylinder regulators are Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) and are suitable for use with FDA's GRAS approved food additive gases. The regulators are also suitable for food packaging according to the European Commission regulation No. 1935/2004.