Abstract
In this article, we report in detail the use of protective gases to extend the shelf-life of polymer-film-packed foodstuff and reduce the most typical bacteria and microorganisms that negatively affect the quality and lifetime of a given packaging. This article provides significant information about the most important advantages of using protective gases and examples of gases or gas mixtures which can be used for almost every kind of foodstuff depending on the application. We also discuss how protective gases change the level of microorganisms in food using gases and how the shelf-life of food can be enhanced using correct gases or gas mixtures. The article also provides imperative information on the selection of correct protective gases for specific applications, especially for food production, to preserve against the most typical threats which can appear during the packaging or production process. Packaging innovations can reduce the environmental impact of food and polymer packaging waste by prolonging products’ shelf-lives and by reducing waste along the production and distribution chain and at the household level.
Highlights
The last issue which can discourage the use of Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) is the influence of gases on meal taste when we use, for example, a high level of CO2 concentration which reacts with the products and makes food sour
Bread, dairy, or meat products were packaged with a protective atmosphere, but in the last few years, MAP is increasingly being used for other products such as coffee, kinds of seafood and fishes, and fruit and vegetables
These are not all the products where modified atmosphere packaging can be used, because MAP is becoming very popular in ready-made meals or convenience products
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. To prevent the development of bacteria or any other microorganism and extend the shelf-life of foodstuffs without using chemical additives, many years ago, protective/shielding gases began to be used, colloquially called MAP gases, which means modified atmosphere packaging [5,11,12,13]. Thanks to these gases, we do not have to use chemical additives because the surrounding atmosphere wrapping the product protects it against microbes and creates appropriate external conditions as well [7]. The main aim of this article is to collect and present basic and advanced information related to the packaging of various types of food in polymer film packaging and protective gas atmospheres, as well as classic and modern techniques of packaging quality control, i.e., packaging tightness and the composition of the protective atmosphere inside the packaging
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