The use of MA technologies – a modified atmosphere, allows for a long time to keep an attractive appearance and high consumer qualities of food.
For the packaging of fresh vegetables, fruits, food products, culinary, bakery, confectionery, etc. in Western Europe and the United States for more than 20 years using sealed packaging with an adjustable and modified composition of the gas environment. The gaseous mixture of any composition inside the package leads to a sharp decrease in the rate of “breathing” of the product, its gas exchange with the environment, slowing the growth of microorganisms and suppressing the process of decay caused by enzymatic spores, resulting in an increase in the shelf life of the product several times. There are several ways of packaging in a gaseous environment:
- in inert gas (N2, CO2, Ar);
- in a controlled gas environment (UGS), when the composition of the gas mixture should change only within specified limits, which requires significant investments in equipment and high costs of ensuring optimal storage conditions for products;
- in a modified gas environment (MHC), when ordinary air is used as the environment in the initial period, and then, depending on the nature of the stored products and physical environmental conditions, modified storage conditions are established, but within fairly wide limits on the composition of the gas.
In packaging technology for reasons of manufacturability, cost-effectiveness and safety of the product, packaging in MGS became more common.
The main gases used for packing in the MAP are oxygen O2, carbon dioxide CO2 and nitrogen N2, the ratio of which, especially O2, depends on the type of product being packaged. Oxygen is the main gas and its content for the packaging of various products can range from 0 to 80%. Inert gas nitrogen is used as a gas mixture filler inside a package, as it does not change the color of the meat and does not inhibit the growth of microorganisms. Obviously, it can be used instead of vacuuming. Carbon dioxide inhibits the growth of bacteria, and when used in the early stages of microorganism development, the shelf life of the packaged product may increase significantly.
Ingas LLC offers you the gas mixtures produced by us in various concentrations at the request of the Customer for the food industry and guarantees the quality of its products.