Nitrogen Products: Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP)

Modified Atmosphere Packaging improving product quality and extending shelf-life

nitrogen packaging; modified atmosphere packaging (MAP)

Product spoilage can occur from the moment a food item has been produced. Increased consumer demand for fresh, high quality preservative-free foods has led to the development of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP).

MAP or ‘gas flushing’ as it is also known, is an increasingly popular technique used to easily and economically improve product quality and extend shelf-life.

Flushing packaged foods with inert high purity nitrogen retards aerobic spoilage and oxidative deterioration by typically reducing the oxygen level in packaged foods to below 1% so that food tastes as good as the day it was Made.

Nitrogen is primarily used to reduce the oxygen content within food packaging and to avoid product deterioration. A secondary reason for using nitrogen is as a filler gas to provide a pressurized atmosphere that prevents package collapse, this is an important consideration for consumer brands.

MAP is used in numerous products

Potato chips, corn and extruded snacks
Nuts
Edible oils - refining of palm and coconut oils
Coffee and tea
Powdered milk
Spices, pasta and other dried products
Grated cheese and other dairy products
Fruit juices and wine

Benefits of using MAP

Preservation of product flavor, aroma, texture and nutritional value
Increased sales through high product quality
Fewer product returns
Increased production efficiency with longer production runs
Better product color and texture at point of sale
Extended shelf-life
Increased export opportunities to new geographic markets

Why MAXIGAS?

MAXIGAS is a cost effective alternative to other nitrogen sources with no on-going costs such as refills, order processing or delivery charges. It is also a safer alternative to the manhandling of high-pressure nitrogen gas cylinders.

Production downtime is minimized due to the permanent availability of an on-demand nitrogen supply, giving manufacturers increased control. MAXIGAS requires minimal maintenance and can also bring valuable space saving advantages.

The development of food packaging machines with integrated gas flushing capabilities and the supply of ‘food grade’ nitrogen by domnick hunter allows food manufacturers to enhance the quality and integrity of their products.

How It Works

MAXIGAS is constructed from pairs of extruded aluminum columns filled with carbon molecular sieve (CMS) and operates on the Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) principle to produce a continuous stream of nitrogen gas from compressed air. Oxygen and other trace gases are preferentially adsorbed by the CMS, allowing nitrogen to pass through.

Carbon molecular sieve differs from ordinary activated carbons in that it has a much narrower range of pore openings. This allows small molecules such as oxygen to penetrate the pores and be separated from the air stream. The larger molecules of nitrogen by-pass the CMS and emerge as the product gas.

After a pre-set time when the on-line bed is almost saturated with adsorbed gases, the system automatically switches to regenerative mode, venting the contaminants from the CMS. The second CMS bed then comes on-line and takes over the separation process. The pair of CMS beds switch between separation and regeneration modes to ensure continuous and uninterrupted nitrogen production.

>> Download the full MAXIGAS Nitrogen PDF File