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Nitrogen-Based Modified Atmosphere Packaging

Why These Important Food Industries Need Nitrogen-Based Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP)

Nitrogen-based modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) in the food industry is a useful and cost-effective process for many food packaging requirements. MAP displaces oxygen and moisture in food packaging, both of which can negatively affect the shelf life and taste of the food product. To that end, onsite nitrogen generators for MAP food packaging offers the lowest cost food grade nitrogen supply available that gives you a continuous supply of nitrogen on demand and eliminates the requirement of a 3rd party nitrogen supply vendor, their onerous long term supply contracts and late or missed nitrogen deliveries.

Both a PSA nitrogen generator and a membrane nitrogen generator can ensure that your business has access to all the nitrogen it requires for MAP for food applications.

Below, we look at the various types of food products that benefit from nitrogen MAP.

Roasted Coffee

While coffee is a dried product and therefore not vulnerable to microbial spoilage (which occurs in the presence of oxygen), it does contain fatty acids. Should these fatty acids oxidize, the coffee beans can turn rancid. Replacing the oxygen in ambient air in the packaging with inert nitrogen gas greatly reduces this risk.

Meat Packaging

Meat and especially raw meat are, as you’d expected, very likely to spoil due to microbial growth in the presence of oxygen and moisture. The high nutrient and moisture contents of meat makes them especially vulnerable as the microbes that develop can be deadly when consumed. Cooked meats can use a mixture of C02 and nitrogen gas to help maintain flavor, color, and prevent microbial growth.

Snacks and Nuts

The high fat content of snacks like chips and nuts means that they can be impacted by oxidation and moisture (think of stale chips when you leave the bag open too long). The nitrogen in the packaging displaces oxygen and moisture and protects them from oxidation, while also providing a cushion so that they can’t be crushed should they be dropped.

Dairy Products

Cheese especially is a product that benefits from nitrogen-based modified atmosphere packaging. That’s because cheese is susceptible to microbial growth in the presence of oxygen (think mold). CO2 is a common replacement for oxygen, but soft cheeses can absorb this gas and cause the packaging to collapse. A mixture of CO2 and nitrogen, therefore, can help ensure the packaging remains stable and your cheese doesn’t spoil.

Bakery Products

Much like cheese, bread and other baked goods are susceptible to mold growth. CO2 and nitrogen can be used to displace the oxygen and moisture therefore protecting the product and also preventing CO2 absorption and packaging collapse.

Wine Production

There’s a reason that wine is corked and sealed off from the air as it can spoil when exposed to ambient air and moisture. Nitrogen and argon are commonly used in wine production to protect quality. You can use either argon or nitrogen, but nitrogen is much more readily available and cost effective, especially with nitrogen supplied by a PSA nitrogen generator or membrane nitrogen generator.

Ready-Made Meals

Ready-made meals are complex and often contain foods that, if spoiled, could be harmful to a person’s health if consumed. That’s why many opt for nitrogen and CO2 mixes to protect the packaging and the food within. Depending on the food, a different combination of CO2 and nitrogen is required, but you can take a 80% to 20% nitrogen/CO2ratio as a good baseline.

Legal Cannabis Products

It’s not just food that uses nitrogen generators for food packaging. Cannabis products also use nitrogen MAP to keep their products fresher and prevent the risk of being dried out by exposure to ambient air in the packaging.

Also Read: Onsite Nitrogen Generators: A Safe and Effective Solution for Stored Grain Fumigation

Advanced Gas Technologies Offers Onsite Nitrogen Generators for Food Packaging

Onsite nitrogen generators are extremely efficient and cost-effective for various industrial applications. By installing an onsite system, all you need to focus on is minor maintenance requirements while your investment pays for itself over time, typically in one to two years. To install your own nitrogen gas generator for your MAP or other industrial application, contact Advanced Gas Technologies Inc. 

We’ll manage both your installation and maintenance services so you can rest assured that your nitrogen generators for food packaging or other applications are operating at peak efficiency and therefore maximizing your return on investment.

Depending on the application, some industries require the highest purity levels for nitrogen to ensure the final product contains as little to no oxygen as possible. Many applications can tolerate nitrogen purities as low as 95% to 99.9%, though. With onsite nitrogen generators you have better control over nitrogen purity levels and therefore the user only uses nitrogen at the purity actually required for their specific application which maximizes ROI.

Contact us toll-free at 1-(866) 725-7551 in North America or(905) 305-0094 local and overseas to learn more about our onsite oxygen and nitrogen generators, including our high-efficiency onsite membrane generators and PSA nitrogen generators.

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