8 - Modified atmosphere and active packaging of chilled foods

Abstract

Publisher Summary There has been a greatly increased consumer demand for perishable chilled foods that are perceived as being fresh, healthy and convenient. The major food retailers have satisfied this consumer demand by providing an ever increasing range of value-added chilled food products. The wide diversity of chilled foods available is accompanied by a huge range of packaging materials and formats that are used to present attractively packaged foods in retail chill cabinets. This chapter presents an overview of the requirements and types of packaging materials and formats that are commonly utilized for a broad variety of chilled food products. In addition, the chapter describes selected packaging technologies for extending chilled food shelf-life, such as modified atmosphere packaging and active packaging, and highlights new developments. It also lists the main requirements for a chilled food package. The sealed package must contain the food without leaking, be non-toxic and have sufficient mechanical strength to protect the food and itself from the stresses of manufacture, storage, distribution, and display.