Ensuring food safety throughout the supply chain, including during packaging and distribution, is critical. Packaging these foods extends shelf life, protects against contamination, pest attacks, pilferage, rancidity, and various forms of spoilage and taste loss. It also facilitates safer transportation of the food, allowing for critical product information to be communicated on the packaging itself, such as nutritional facts, origin, and safe handling instructions, all of which benefit consumers.

Safety Imperatives

MAP plays a vital role in reducing foodborne illness risks and extending shelf life, making it essential to adhere to food safety regulations and guidelines, including labeling requirements and approved packaging materials. MAP technology can impact the sensory qualities of ready-to-eat foods, such as taste, texture, and appearance. Therefore, precise control of the packaging process is necessary to preserve these qualities and reduce the need for added preservatives.

Leak Testing

Proper leak testing is crucial to prevent unnecessary returns, loss of reputation, legal consequences, and business loss. For quality assurance, users can opt for sample or in-line testing solutions—based on CO₂ or a water bubble test. Reliable package leak detection systems are easy to operate and capable of detecting even the smallest leaks, with tests logged and documented digitally for customer assurance.

System Maintenance

From mixing gasses to introducing them into packaging, utmost care is required. A faulty mixture or leak can compromise product quality, leading to nutrient, taste, color, or structural degradation, and potential contamination by microorganisms. To ensure consumer safety, rigorous testing and maintenance are essential, requiring high-quality equipment and stringent hygiene standards. Inline gas analysis can monitor the modified atmosphere continuously to support this.

Tests

Once packaged, products must be tested for the correct gas composition and leaks. Only through this rigorous approach can the full benefits of MAP be realized, ensuring top-quality products reach consumers. Proper sanitation of MAP equipment is critical to prevent contamination, as improper handling can increase the risk of food waste. Careful consideration of these factors during packaging can mitigate such risks.

Gas Monitoring

Ambient air gas monitoring systems protect employees and ensure safe CO₂ use, which, though non-toxic, can be hazardous in confined spaces. Accumulations of CO₂ can displace oxygen, posing health risks as concentration increases. Monitoring systems with acoustic and visual alarms provide safety by alerting personnel when gas levels exceed safe limits. Controlled atmospheres are also used for ripening control, such as in chambers with ethylene.

Consumer Education

Educating consumers on safe handling and storage of MAP-ready foods is essential. Labels must provide critical information like ingredients, nutrition facts, expiry dates, and allergy warnings, empowering consumers to make informed decisions.

Nichrome MAP Solutions

If you’re seeking a thali packing machine, tray sealing machine, container sealing machine, nitrogen packing machine, or food tray sealing machine with MAP technology—also known as controlled atmosphere packaging—for fresh food, Nichrome is the ideal choice. As leaders in packaging machines, automatic filling machines, and sealing machine manufacturing, Nichrome India delivers comprehensive integrated packaging solutions.

Conclusion

In summary, quality control in MAP for ready-to-eat foods is not just about extending shelf life but ensuring safety, enhancing sensory experience, and upholding consumer trust. From stringent leak testing to system maintenance and consumer education, every aspect of the MAP process contributes to delivering safe, high-quality products, supported by Nichrome’s advanced packaging solutions.

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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.

The use of active techniques such as gas flushing and compensated vacuum, or passive ones like designing ‘breathable films’ can be used to achieve a stable atmosphere of gases inside the packaging.

The different components of MAP Technology

• Machine
• Gas mixer
• Gas analyser
• Trays
• Barrier film

Why MAP Technology?

• Convenience
• Quality
• Safety
• Availability
• Brand image
• Extended shelf life
• Sensory aspects

Advantages of MAP Technology

• Maintaining the quality throughout the manufacturing process (GMP) (GHP)
• Maintaining protocols for food safety and HACCP
• Consistent productivity with limited manpower
• Can handle a variety of products and is capable of handling different SKU sizes

Benefits of MAP Technology

• Shelf-life extension
• Waste minimisation (profit maximisation)
• Quality
• Reduced need for artificial preservatives, maintaining the
• Increased distribution possibilities

Why maintain gas mixtures?

How does MAP control micro-organisms?

MAP can control 4 types of micro-organisms:

• Aerobic Microbes – require oxygen or air for respiration and growth   
• Anaerobic Microbes – do not require oxygen or air to grow    
• Microaerophilic Microbes – require a low level of oxygen for optimum growth
• Facultative Anaerobic microbes – can respire and grow with/without the presence of oxygen

MAP for shelf-life and food spoilage

• Remain safe
• Be certain to retain desired sensory, chemical, physical and microbiological characteristics
• Comply with any label declaration of nutritional data when stored and handled under the recommended data

Factors that influence shelf-life

• Raw materials
• Product formulation
• Processing
• Packaging atmosphere
• Hygiene
• Distribution
• Storage
• Consumer handling

Nichrome’s MAP Tray Sealing Machines

• Nichrome – Tecnovac Semiautomatic Tray sealing machine
• Nichrome – Tecnovac Linear Machine model Athena
• Nichrome – Tecnovac Dual Drive Machine model Athena

Conclusion

If you are looking for a thali packing machine , tray sealing machine, container sealing machine, nitrogen packing machine, or a food tray sealing machine with MAP food packaging technology – aka controlled atmosphere packaging – for your fresh food business, connect with Nichrome.

Nichrome is among the leading packaging machine manufacturers, Automatic filling machine manufacturers, filling and sealing machine manufacturers and providers of integrated packaging solutions. Nichrome has an illustrious history and significant expertise in food packaging and offers the full range of VFFS (Vertical Form Fill Seal Machines), HFFS (Horizontal form fill seal machines) and automated packaging machines – including powder packaging machines, snack packaging machines, liquid packaging machines, pharmaceutical packaging machines and ready-to-eat packaging machines.

Nichrome proactively works in conjunction with its clients, helping them plan and implement the most cost-effective and dependable MAP solution for their needs. Visit www.nichrome.com to learn more!

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