Fresh, grab-and-go foods are booming, and the incredible growth in this product category depends on innovative food packaging to keep foods from spoiling. From browning produce to graying meat, fresh foods can quickly lose their appeal to consumers and become costly waste. To prevent these issues, more and more food retailers and manufacturers turn to modified atmosphere packaging.
In this article, we explore how modified atmosphere packaging works, how it can help extend shelf life, and why it’s become such an important enabler for today’s fastest-growing food categories.
What Is Modified Atmosphere Packaging?
Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), sometimes referred to as “modified air packaging,” is a widely used technology in the food industry for extending product freshness, improving shelf life, and reducing waste. By controlling the composition of gases inside a package, MAP helps slow the natural processes of spoilage, oxidation, and microbial growth.
MAP is a form of film-seal packaging that uses a polymer film to seal in its controlled atmosphere. Its use has expanded significantly in recent decades as consumer demand for fresh, minimally processed, and longer-lasting foods has grown.
What Causes Food To Spoil?
Food spoilage is driven by two main processes: oxidation and the activity of microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast, and fungi.
- Oxidation occurs when food is exposed to oxygen in the air. This chemical reaction degrades the flavor, color, and texture of food over time. Products high in fats and oils are especially vulnerable, as oxygen exposure can cause rancidity, off-flavors, and discoloration.
- Microorganisms naturally present in the environment can also cause food to deteriorate. Bacteria and molds break down food components, leading to changes in taste, odor, and appearance, and in some cases making food unsafe to eat.
Together, these processes shorten shelf life, alter foods’ taste and appearance, and create significant operational challenges for maintaining freshness during storage and distribution. Modified atmosphere packaging is impactful because it directly addresses both of these root causes of food spoilage.
How Does Modified Atmosphere Packaging Prevent Spoilage?
Modified atmosphere packaging replaces the normal composition of air inside a package with a carefully balanced mix of gases. While air naturally contains around 21% oxygen, MAP typically reduces oxygen levels (as low as <1%) and adjusts carbon dioxide and nitrogen to better protect food quality. The process involves flushing a food package with a custom gas mixture before sealing.
- Carbon dioxide (CO₂): Suppresses the growth of many spoilage organisms.
- Nitrogen (N₂): An inert filler gas that prevents oxidation and package collapse.
- Oxygen (O₂): Typically minimized but not always eliminated; in some cases, small amounts are retained to preserve the color of red meat or support respiration in fresh produce.
The exact gas ratio depends on the type of product and desired shelf life, and the balance must be carefully calculated to avoid an under- or over-pressurized container; the mix is flexible, but the total pressure inside and outside the container must be equilibrated.
To maintain this equilibrium, the packaging process must account for interactive variables, including the respiration rate of the contained food, the thickness of the film, and the gas transmission allowed by the film.
Types of Barrier Film
Barrier films are essential to the success of modified atmosphere packaging, and different materials offer different strengths.
- Polyethylene (PE): Flexible and durable, PE is one of the most widely used packaging films. In MAP, it often serves as the base layer, providing reliable protection against moisture and oxygen.
- Polypropylene (PP): More rigid than PE, PP is often used as an outer layer. It adds strength and creates a barrier to moisture and light, which helps protect sensitive foods.
- Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol (EVOH): Known for its excellent oxygen resistance, EVOH is especially valuable for packaging items prone to oxidation, such as meat, fish, and dairy products.
- Other films: Materials like polyester (PET), nylon (PA), and aluminum foil are also used, depending on product requirements. Each offers unique properties that allow packaging to be tailored to specific food needs.
What Foods Are a Good Fit for Modified Atmosphere Packaging?
MAP is widely used across perishable food categories, including:
- Fresh red meat and poultry (color and microbial control)
- Seafood (slows bacterial growth and preserves freshness)
- Baked goods (reduces staling and mold growth)
- Fresh-cut fruits and vegetables (slows respiration and browning)
- Dairy products like cheese (prevents mold growth)
- Ready-to-eat meals and other convenience foods
It is important to note that, according to the Airgas guide to MAP, “the gases commonly used for MAP each have different effects on the color and freshness of packaged foods…In order to make effective recommendations, gas suppliers need to know about the product being packaged and the manufacturer’s goals for the product’s shelf life, taste and appearance.”
This resource provides a helpful guide to recommended gas mixes for MAP across a wide variety of foods.
What Are the Benefits of Modified Air Food Packaging?
It is important to recognize that the benefits outlined below add up to more than the sum of their parts. MAP not only delivers valuable product-level benefits but is a strategic enabler that opens new opportunities for how and where food can be sold.
Benefit One: Extended Shelf Life
Reducing oxygen and balancing CO₂ helps food last days or even weeks longer compared to standard packaging. This is critical for products like fresh meat, seafood, and bakery items, which would otherwise spoil quickly.
Benefit Two: Expanded Distribution Reach
Longer freshness windows give manufacturers and retailers the ability to distribute more broadly, from regional supermarkets to national chains and convenience stores, while still delivering products that look and taste fresh.
Benefit Three: Preserved Quality
MAP helps maintain the color, texture, and flavor of foods by slowing oxidation and moisture loss. Fresher appearance and taste help attract consumers and present a high-quality brand identity.
Benefit Four: Waste Reduction
By extending shelf life and keeping products fresher for longer, MAP significantly reduces food waste and shrinkage across the supply chain, from producers to grocery shelves to home refrigerators.
Benefit Five: Product Appearance
Unlike vacuum packaging, which can flatten or distort soft and delicate foods, MAP maintains the natural shape and presentation of products. This is especially important for bakery goods, fresh produce, and other items where visual shelf appeal influences purchase decisions.
MAP also helps preserve food aesthetics, the visual cues that signal freshness and quality to consumers. Vibrant colors in fruits and vegetables, the bright red hue of fresh meat, and the glossy finish of baked goods are all better maintained under controlled gas mixtures. Because purchasing decisions are often made with the eyes first, protecting these aesthetic qualities plays a direct role in driving consumer confidence and sales.
Benefit Six: Cost Savings
MAP packaging is a great example of how the right technology can help optimize food packaging costs. With fewer products lost to spoilage or damage, businesses save money while also improving inventory efficiency. A longer distribution window also allows for easier logistics planning and reduced losses due to returns.
Benefit Seven: Reduced Need for Preservatives
Because MAP relies on gas mixtures to slow spoilage, it reduces dependence on chemical preservatives. This supports consumer demand for cleaner labels and more natural food products.
Learn More About Modified Atmosphere Packaging Solutions
Modified atmosphere packaging is a powerful tool for preserving freshness and quality, but it does require some specialized knowledge and careful packaging selection. Choosing the wrong gas mixture, barrier film, or sealing method can backfire, turning what should be an advantage into a costly mistake.
At Lacerta, we help food companies put MAP into practice with packaging solutions designed around their products. We have decades of experience in food packaging, and we can help understand both the science behind MAP and the practical challenges of scaling it in real-world operations.
With custom packaging design options and in-house design, tooling, and manufacturing, we provide the expertise and flexibility needed to deliver both innovation and efficiency.
Learn How Our Innovative Film-Seal Packaging Design Can Reduce Plastic Use by 50%
