Fresher and Safer for Longer – Air Products at the Forefront of Food Freshness and Safety
Air Products, industry leaders for more than 40 years in the manufacture and supply of gas products and technology, has made important strides in food safety technology in the last four to five years.
This is true particularly in the area of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), where Air Products’ Freshline offering brings a complete packaging solution to food manufacturers and suppliers, as well as new standards of safety for the consumer.
While MAP is not an entirely new concept, the technology has become increasingly sophisticated and more widely used in recent years.
This is according to Arthi Govender, Specialty Gas Sales Manager at Air Products. She says, “MAP is well-established overseas, particularly in Europe, but it is relatively new in South Africa.”
She continues: “Good looking, fresh, convenient food has become something the consumer demands from the food industry. In the past, MAP was primarily used to prolong the shelf life of foodstuffs such as processed meat under refrigeration. These days, MAP is used to package anything from fresh salads and meat portions, to sandwiches and snacks.”
What exactly is MAP? Govender provides a definition: “In MAP, the gas composition in food packaging is changed by altering levels of oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide, which inhibits microbial growth, controls reactions of enzymes and bio-chemicals, and reduces moisture loss.
In simple terms, the composition of the atmosphere surrounding food is modified, according to the type of food, in order to extend the shelf life of the food,” she says.
Apart from a longer shelf-life, the benefits of MAP include a better, more appetising appearance of food, an important consideration for both supplier and consumer.
MAP, in the packaging and retail process, is often used in combination with permitted respective preservatives, as the process does not stop the growth of bacteria entirely, just slows it down,” Govender points out.
There is a range of high purity gases, delivered in both liquid and gas form, that are primarily used for the food industry. Carbon dioxide is used widely in MAP, says Govender. “CO2 inhibits the growth of most bacteria and moulds. It is used extensively in the packaging of bakery products.
“Generally speaking, the higher the level of carbon dioxide, the longer the achievable shelf-life,” says Govender.
Nitrogen, another important element in MAP, is used as an inert gas which displaces air, and in particular oxygen. Nitrogen is mostly used in extending the shelf life of processed fruit and vegetables.
“Oxygen causes oxidative deterioration, and moisture needs to be as far as possible reduced or eliminated, as it attracts micro-organisms,” says Aubrey Parsons, a food scientist and lecturer on food safety.
Aerobic bacteria thrive in an oxygenated environment, says Parsons, but not only that, bacteria are able to mutate. “Bacteria are becoming increasingly intelligent and adaptable,” he asserts, adding that they find ways of reproducing, which is making food safety technology more important than ever.
Parsons emphasises that food is subject not only to bacterial micro-organisms, but to other harmful agents, such as insecticides, fungicides and herbicides. He draws attention to two recent international incidents where toxins caused wide-spread illness. In 2004, Chinese milk powder manufactures added the chemical melamine to their products. Melamine, a rich protein substance, is used to make plastics and fertiliser. Many thousands of babies fell ill as a result, and, according to Parsons, the effects of the disaster are still being felt to this day.
More recently, a month-long e-coli outbreak caused by bean sprouts from a farm in Germany, killed several people and left thousands ill.
“That is why it is crucial to having a proper food safety management system in place,” he says. In this, the World Health Organisation (WHO) plays a crucial role by promoting safe practices and ensuring that food is both healthy and nutritious, according to Parsons.
“There is no alternative to food safety,” he says, “but the onus is on food companies and manufacturers to put in place safety systems, enhanced by MAP. A good food management system can reduce problems by 99%.”
MAP, Parsons asserts, is a highly effective means of ensuring food safety, and a “blessing” in an age where incidents of food poisoning are on the rise. It is becoming widely used among the large food companies in South Africa who, by and large, have a reputation for responsible and reliable food safety practices.
“However, it doesn’t end with MAP – there are still risks if factory staff are not trained properly. Dirty hands, for example, can be lethal weapons,” he says.
This is where the ISO 22 000 standard in food safety plays an important role. Parsons explains: “ISO 22 000 is used to demonstrate food safety management. It teaches manufacturers how to train their staff, and it also protects intellectual property.”
The ISO 22 000 international standard specifies requirements for a food safety management system that involves, among other things, interactive communication and system management in the food supply chain.
“Since food safety hazards can occur at any stage in the food chain it is essential that adequate control be in place at all times,” says Parsons. “Therefore, a combined effort of all parties through the food chain is required.
The ISO food safety standards also provide formulations for processes such as weighing and sequencing when combining ingredients, which have to be signed off. Staff must know what they are doing, which includes supervisors, who need awareness of what is happening in the production environment,” Parsons emphasises.
Air Products, whose facilities are all ISO-accredited, including GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) in food safety, also believes that training has an important role to play. “Air Products provides training and advice in MAP technology and its role in food safety, to all our clients in the food industry,” says Govender.
The company’s customers include suppliers and packers of red meat, poultry, ready-made meals, beverage producers (who use CO2 to make sparkling drinks, as well as nitrogen which retains the rigidity of the can), manufacturers of dry products, such as cereals, milk formula, and suppliers of fresh fruit, vegetables and fish.
“Air Products is a leader in MAP technology. Our clients appreciate that we are able to draw on the expertise and experience of our global company, and the fact that safety is always our number one consideration,” Govender concludes.
Published on February 7, 2012 in Air Products News |