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Modified Atmosphere Gases and Mixtures
Modified Atmosphere Packaging for Fruit and Vegetables
Extend the shelf life of your fruit and vegetables - the natural way - with a MAPAX® solution tailored to your produce and thoroughly tested by the food experts at our technology centers
Modified Atmospheres Tailored to Your Produce
Different fruits and vegetables respire and therefore spoil at different rates. The respiration rate, in turn, is determined by a number of enzymatic reactions. Salad vegetables, for instance, are prone to enzymatic browning. Different enzymatic reactions result in a potato or apple browning. These reactions can be slowed down by packing the produce in the correct modified atmosphere.
Our MAPAX portfolio mixes various food-grade gases to create ideal atmospheres for everything from sliced apples to salad mixes - without altering physical or chemical properties or adding any unnatural ingredients. This is a natural method that is rapidly growing in popularity worldwide. In many cases, it can also complement alternative preservation methods.
Our MAPAX modified atmospheres for fruit and vegetables can help you to:
- Increase sales by satisfying growing demand for fresh and naturally preserved products
- Extend shelf life without chemicals or freezing
- Increase shelf life in the distribution chain by days or even weeks
- Retain taste, texture and appearance
- Enhance production and distribution efficiency
MAPAX for Fruit and Vegetables
The key to successful modified atmosphere packaging for fresh produce lies in a packaging film of correct intermediary permeability. This enables a desirable equilibrium modified atmosphere (EMA) to be established, where the rate of oxygen and carbon dioxide transmission through the pack equals the produce respiration rate. The right EMA can inhibit the enzymatic reactions that cause browning and increase the shelf life of fruit and vegetables by many days.
The EMA is influenced by numerous factors such as the respiration rate, temperature, packaging film, pack volume, fill weight and light. The respiration rate, in turn, is affected by the variety, size and maturity of the produce as well as the extent to which it has been processed. Consequently, determining the optimum EMA for any given item is a complex challenge that can only be solved through practical experimental tests. The experts at our test centers would be happy to run real-world tests to establish the MAPAX solution best suited to your individual fruit, vegetable or mixture.