Packaging in Modified Atmosphere (MAP) or Protective Atmosphere means “pack a perishable product in an atmosphere that has been modified which composition is different form the air itself”.

Introducing food gas (gas mixtures) into a packaging permits to create a protective environment ideal for food product. By the time and technical evolution it’s been possible to better optimize this aspect so to permit to eliminate the onerous and complex continuous atmosphere monitoring around the product.

Compared to the under-vacuum packaging technology, the MAP techniques offer the following advantages:

it’s a more “delicate ” technique because the air aspiration isn’t violent and don’t risk to put the product under stress. If the air evacuation is too fast it can remove some volatile substances useful to the natural scent product conservation;
a quick atmosphere aspiration can also cause the evaporation of a part of the product humidity and move the fatty content on the surface;
the Protective Atmosphere packaging, not only removes the air that could deteriorate the product but introduces elements (contained in the gas) that can oppose the food alteration and to its qualitative decadence.