Modified Atmosphere Packagings Of Perishable Food

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Packagings of perishable foods require sophisticated technology. The most common application of technology is the use of modified atmosphere such that the composition free from air. This scientific use of technology is known as modified atmosphere packaging MAP. It offers unique packaging principles unlike the controlled atmosphere storage, which involves maintaining a perfectly definite atmosphere in the storage compartment by monitoring and compensating the change in the atmosphere caused by microbes’ respiration or package permeability.
The principle of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) of fresh foods However, one of the key purposes of MAP in perishable foods products …show more content…

Presence of such bacteria, provide an ideal setting for rapid propagation. According to Brody (1998), Chemical activity decline especially fat oxidation and color autoxidation play a center role in perishable food spoilage. In fact, perishable foods normally discolor while subjected to intrinsic biochemical reactions prior to bacterial effects becoming significant. Packaging systems provide various possibilities depending on the exact condition that is preferred, but they all depend on the dynamic environment of the food and in particular the gaseous condition within the pack. According to Jeremiah (2001) the appropriate method will depend on many factors, including the type of food to be packaged, the expected duration of storage, the size of market distribution and whether such food are intended for wholesale or retail sale among others. The composition of the gaseous atmosphere determines the color of the food type and the rate at which it discolors, as well as the likely pattern of microbiological spoilage. Inside the pack, the atmosphere is a dynamic equilibrium of gaseous exchanges, possibly also occurring with the external …show more content…

It was an old practice by the people of extreme cold regions to preserve their food. The process involved freezing food by immersing them in ice and salt brine. Presently, use of freezers involving use of chemical suppression of temperature, is an advent of mechanical refrigeration the process that has since become widely applicable in commercial preservation. The process of quick or flash freezing is considered an effective way of preserving certain types of perishable food.
The changes that occur to foods during frozen storage and thawing According to Fik & Macura (2001), the interdependence between frozen foods storage time, thawing method, organoleptic and physical-chemical changes indicated that quality of the thawed product was evident. The study also found that freezing foods caused more effects on the quality than thawing. However, thawing had a significant effect on the tested physical-chemical parameters of the food products. The changes that occur during these to processes effect on the sensory quality of food. The results obtained suggest that foods subjected to microwave thawing were generally of better quality than air blast

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