Modified Atmosphere and Vacuum Packaging to Extend the Shelf Life of Respiring Food Products

Abstract

There has been a recent upsurge in the application of modified atmosphere and vacuum packaging to extend the shelf life of food products that rapidly deteriorate. Although these techniques are mostly used with nonrespiring products, both offer considerable prospects for respiring products as well. Because not all commodities respire at the same pace, packaging conditions, such as the initial gas atmosphere applied, the type of packaging material used, and the storage temperature, require special consideration. Choosing the wrong packaging conditions may lead to loss of product quality and also may impair the microbiological safety normally associated with fresh fruits and vegetables. This paper stresses the importance of these considerations with modified atmosphere and vacuum packaging systems.