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1/ Food manufacturers who pack their products in a modified atmosphere spend a lot of money replacing the ambient air with a mixture of gases (or nitrogen alone in many cases) in the packaging. They also print a date to indicate the use-by date of the product.
2/ There are two main reasons for using MAP packaging. The first is that the gas mixture or nitrogen replacing the ambient air has preservative capabilities, or prevents/reduces the effects of oxygen decomposition on the food. In both cases, the shelf life is extended. The second (mainly for crisps) involves inflating the packaging with nitrogen and forming a protective ‘pillow’ around the food, to prevent the contents being crushed when stacked or pressed.
3/ Consequently, the gas mixture or nitrogen must remain in sufficient quantity in the packaging until the last day of the shelf life. There must therefore be no leakage.
4/ To prevent leaks, the manufacturer must first ensure that his packaging machine hermetically seals the pack. However, even if a pack is hermetically sealed at the factory, the pressure or differential pressure applied to the pack after it has been manufactured can cause it to leak. For example, when a pack is stacked, the pack at the bottom of the carton may leak due to the weight of the top. Similarly, the differential pressure applied if the packaging is delivered by air can also generate a leak.
5/ Astaara can help you by first testing the packaging immediately after manufacture and ensuring that ALL packaging machines guarantee hermeticity. This is the leak test.
In addition, Astaara leak testers can identify the altitude at which a hermetically sealed package will begin to leak when transported by air. This is the altitude simulation test.
7/ Still on the subject of food safety, the principle is prevention and NOT correction. This means that the manufacturer must do everything possible to avoid problems rather than trying to correct them once they have occurred.
