Research into the relationship between product shelf life and packaging leads to interesting insights
28 April 2022
Fresh products are often packaged in a protective or MAP (Modified Atmosphere Packaging) atmosphere, or vacuum-packed. Examples include meat, fish, ready-to-eat meals and pre-sliced fruits and vegetables, such as stir-fry mixes or fresh mango pieces.
Gas mixtures in various compositions are usually added when packaging these fresh products. The composition of these gas mixtures in the packaging affects the physico-chemical, enzymatic and microbiological reactions in the product and therefore their product shelf life.
Smartfood R&D has a packaging pilot plant where products can be packaged under MAP. In this plant, we can perfectly simulate different MAP conditions in our clients’ final products on a laboratory scale, using our pathogens challenge tests to measure the effect of breaking MAP conditions on the growth potential of pathogenic micro-organisms, for instance.
