Alternative Modified Atmosphere for Fresh Food Packaging

Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) has a long history of safe and effective use to prolong the shelf life of foods; it involves the change of gas composition inside the bag, mainly an increase of CO2 content and the lowering of O2.

In recent years, many authors have proposed the use of some non-conventional gases, like argon (Ar) and other noble gases, or the use of volatiles in the head space (hexanal, hexenal, essential oils from citrus) to improve the safety and quality of fresh products.

This appendix offers a short overview of the most recent findings in the application of these novel approaches for food preservation, along with a proposal for some possible ways to improve the use of these methods for an effective scale up in food industry.

Keywords: Noble gases , Aroma compounds, Modified atmosphere packaging, Fresh-products.