Modified Atmospheric Packaging (MAP) is revolutionising the packaging and presentation of food. This year, Air Products decided to host its 2008 Freshline Congress in Cape Town on October 13. As the Congress was held at the ultra-prestigious Radisson hotel, Congress delegates were also able to enjoy the pleasant Waterfront experience.

The Congress was a singular success for Air Products. It signalled the company’s firm intention to draw closer and bring value to this consumer market sector. The overriding comment from those who attended was about the benefit they had gained. This second Congress built on the success of the first Congress, which was held in Johannesburg at the Kyalami Castle in October 2007.

Suppliers were able to showcase their latest offerings in the field of MAP technology – a technology that is advancing at a very rapid rate. And then there were valuable contributions from users of MAP technology. Here we single out the mercurial Graham Pateras of Pick ‘n Pay Durbanville. In a nutshell, while he explained the road to the successful use of MAP was a steep and sometimes bumpy path, the results, once the systems had been sorted out, made the effort eminently worthwhile.

In bringing together 92 key suppliers to, and consumers of, MAP technology, Air Products showed its determination to further the current South African MAP knowledge base. Through the use of MAP packaging in conjunction with Freshline gases, the possibilities both to eliminate wastage of precious foodstuffs and present healthier products is immense.