Are you able to store food correctly?
In addition to knowing how to cook food in the right way, you must also be able to preserve it in the same way.
In a previous article we talked about aluminum foil as a material used to "preserve" leftover food, highlighting some characteristics that are not unknown to consumers, such as that this material is not suitable for preserving fatty foods. or foods that contain tomatoes.
Today, we want to draw your attention to the pre-packaged products you buy at the supermarket stored in Protective Atmosphere / MAP.
What does Protective Atmosphere mean?
Even if you are not an expert on the subject, I can assure you that you have to deal with this technology (MAP) almost every day, like every time you open a packet of crisps, a piece of affection in a bag or the same bag of salad. In short, all those products that seem to contain "something" inside to keep the "package swollen"
What is the protective atmosphere created with?
100% with Gas!
In particular, oxygen (O2), nitrogen (N2), carbon dioxide (CO2) and Argon (Ar). The principle on which this preservation method is based is the replacement of the air present in the packaging with a pre-established mixture of natural gases which allow an extension of the shelf-life (expiration date of the product) and protection of the quality of the food. .
These gases therefore allow the elimination of the air inside the package which causes its deterioration. Another function of the gases is to "sanitize" the food itself from any contamination.
What contaminations are we talking about?
Food spoilage is caused by biological and physical factors, often linked together.
There are two biological causes , almost always competing:
- microorganisms;
- enzymes present in the food itself.
The physicochemical causes are triggered by oxygen, radiation, heat and changes in water content.
The sources of contamination are different, an example are the raw materials already contaminated at the origin (e.g. meat may contain bacteria coming from the visceral flora, the egg shell is not impervious to bacteria which can penetrate and reproduce).
To "fight" all these phenomena, MAP technology turns out to be the best solution thanks to the unique characteristics of the gases used, such as carbon dioxide which, thanks to its bacteriostatic and funginostatic properties, creates an atmosphere for food with a low pH. In short, it creates a sanitized and sterilized environment.
Author's Notes:
What is written is for informational purposes only, it is not intended to replace scientific research nor a diet.