Modified atmosphere packaging

Modified atmosphere packaging changes the gases surrounding food inside a package to slow spoilage, preserve quality, or extend storage life.

Gas flushing: A packaging operation that replaces air in a package with a selected gas mixture before sealing. It establishes the initial atmosphere in many modified-atmosphere packages.
Meat packaging: Packaging methods used to protect meat during storage, distribution, and sale. Elevated oxygen can maintain red meat color, while other mixtures limit oxidation and microbial growth.
Vacuum packaging: Packaging that removes most air from a package before sealing it. It reduces headspace gases rather than replacing them with a selected mixture.
Food shelf life: The period during which food remains acceptable and safe under specified storage conditions. Extending this period is a central goal, but the result depends on food and storage conditions.
Equilibrium modified atmosphere packaging: Packaging in which product respiration and gas permeation bring internal gas levels toward a stable balance. Fresh produce can generate its own atmosphere after sealing through respiration and film exchange.
Fresh-cut produce: Fruits and vegetables that have been trimmed, peeled, or cut before sale. Cut surfaces respire rapidly, making controlled atmospheres especially useful and demanding.
Controlled atmosphere storage: Storage in which gas levels are monitored and actively adjusted throughout the storage period. It maintains an atmosphere over time, unlike ordinary sealed modified-atmosphere packages.
Food safety: The practices and conditions that prevent food from causing illness or injury. Modified atmospheres can suppress visible spoilage without guaranteeing pathogen control.
Food respiration: The consumption of oxygen and release of carbon dioxide by living plant tissues after harvest. Respiring produce changes package gases, shaping the atmosphere over time.
Seafood packaging: Packaging methods designed to preserve fish and other seafood products. Carbon dioxide-rich atmospheres can inhibit spoilage bacteria in chilled seafood.

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