MULTIVAC BETTER PACKAGING Multivac Southern Africa
Where do we come from? MULTIVAC Wolfertschwenden, South of Munich, current size approx. 30 000 square meters and expanding, and employing some 1500 people.
Other MULTIVAC production sites in: MULTIVAC Maschinenbau Ges. m.b.h. & Co. KG in Lechaschau is MULTIVAC's second production site for packaging machines MULTIVAC Marking & Inspection develops innovative labelling, printing and inspection systems. Our experienced team sets standards in terms of technology, quality and efficiency. MULTIVAC Resale & Service is the service centre for the European market within the MULTIVAC group for overhauling packaging machines and has more than 25 years of experience.
MULTIVAC in figures 115,000 packaging machines sold 3,800 employees 2,500 packaging trials annually 65 daughter companies worldwide 60 percent of all thermoforming packaging machines worldwide
Why Package Food Stuffs It helps Protect the food, from place of manufacture to market. It helps market the product, i.e. presentation of the product. It helps present information about the food, ingredients etc It makes it easy to handle the food, hygienic environment. It helps extend the shelf life of the product.
Shelf Life Extension There are many ways to extend the shelf life of a food product, Vacuum Packaging, MAP or Modified Atmosphere Packaging, Pasteurisation, Pickling etc. The method chosen, is usually determined by a number of factors. The cheapest possible cost, increase profit margins. Shelf life extension, in order to increase distribution radius. Keeping the packaging, commercially viable, be competitive in the market place. Also be visually appealing to the end user or consumer, we buy with our eyes
Vacuum Packing Versus MAP Packing Of these, probably highest on the list is shelf life, the longer your product can stay on shelf without spoilage, the more chance it stands of being bought, and you want the product to be consumed before spoilage takes place.
So what is vacuum packing? Vacuum packaging is a way to increase the shelf life of food products. Here the product is placed in an air-tight pack, the air sucked out and the package sealed. By removing air from around the product, the levels of oxygen in the packaging are reduced, impeding the ability of oxygenbreathing microorganisms to grow and spoil the product. The lack of oxygen also reduces the amount of spoilage due to oxidation the process that causes apples and bananas to turn brown, for example.
What is the history of MAP? MAP was first recorded in 1927 as an extension of the shelf-life of apples by storing them in atmospheres with reduced oxygen and increased carbon dioxide concentrations. In the 1930s it was used as modified atmosphere storage to transport fruit in the holds of ships and increasing the carbon dioxide concentration surrounding beef carcasses transported long distances was shown to increase shelf-life by up to 100%. However, the technique was not introduced commercially for retail packs until the early 1970s in Europe. In the UK, Marks and Spenser introduced MAP meat in 1979; the success of this product led, two years later, to the introduction of MAP, bacon, fish (both fresh and cured), sliced cooked meats and cooked shellfish. Other food manufacturers and supermarket chains followed, resulting in a sharply increased availability of MAP food products reflecting the increase in consumer demand for longer shelf-life foods and less use of preservatives. MAP techniques are now used on a wide range of fresh or chilled foods, including raw and cooked meats and poultry, fish fresh pasta, fruit and vegetables and more recently coffee, tea and bakery products..
Modified Atmosphere Packaging MAP is certainly a more versatile process than vacuum packaging. Vacuum packaging is essentially a one size fits all technology it relies solely on removing air. MAP on the other hand can be tailored to the particular foodstuff, with different gases and different proportions of gas in the mixture used to give the maximum shelf life for the particular product and to retain the quality and appearance of the product. For example for packaging seafood, the proportion of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the modified atmosphere can by varied depending on the type of fish: oily fish benefit from a different atmosphere compared with, for example, prawns. The gas mixture used for red meat is different to that used for, say, bread.
Modified Atmosphere Packaging One area where MAP does score well when compared with vacuum packaging is in the presentation of the product. In vacuum packaging, as the pressure within the packaging is reduced the packaging material collapses and forms itself tightly around the product. For some products, such as fresh meat, this can distort the appearance of the product. Other products, such as shredded cheese, are not suitable for vacuum packaging because the pressure of the packaging material on the product would cause the product to deform and to lose important characteristics.
Modified Atmosphere Packaging It must be noted that a high standard of hygiene is needed prior to packaging, and cold temperatures must be maintained. The modification process lowers the amount of oxygen (O 2 ), moving it from 20.9% to 0%, in order to slow down the growth of aerobic organisms and the speed of oxidation reactions. The removed oxygen can be replaced with nitrogen (N 2 ), commonly acknowledged as an inert gas, or carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), which lowers the ph by mixing with the moisture on the product and forming carbolic acid this inhibits the growth of bacteria. Pure oxygen is used to keep the bloom of red meat or the colour ( example would be fresh mince packs ). Modifying the gas inside the pack alone is not sufficient to prolong shelf life!! This must work in conjunction with a good cold chain post packing. Each and every product would have a unique gas and it is vital that trials are carried out before going to market.
CASE STUDY We were approached by Blue Ocean in Veldrif, they wanted to have a dynamic retail pack, where they would be able to pack and extend the life of fresh, live mussels. This, as far as we are aware is the first time this would be done in the Southern Hemisphere.
CASE STUDY Blue Ocean harvests in the region of 25 tons of Mussels a week, it was important that the animal is not overly stressed during the processing time, and they would have to be packed within three hours of being harvested. Mussels, naturally survive for around 4 days outside of the natural habitat. Solution??? We packed 700 grams of live mussels, in a 85% oxygen and 15% carbon dioxide mix. The Carbon Dioxide had an anesthetising effect on the mussel, slowing the metabolism down, and keeping it calm, and the oxygen was used for the Mussel to breathe. 100ml of fresh water with salt, was used to keep the environment moist and humid.
CASE STUDY Key Factors: The Mussel must be anesthetised, to slow its metabolism. Must have pure oxygen in order to breathe. Must be in a moist and humid environment, fresh water with salt used. Shelf life from 4 days to 10 days!!!!!
CASE STUDY Shelf life could be extended even further by increasing the proportion of gas to mussels ratio. 16 days is easily achievable.
CASE STUDY 2 To package at high speed, goats milk cream cheese ( Chevin ) with MAP for visual impact in the market place and to extend shelf life. With automatic date and batch printing and automatic labelling.
CASE STUDY MAP packed at 14 units per cycle, 70% nitrogen and 30% carbon dioxide, shelf life extension up to 18 days. With this solution we achieve up to 140 packs per minute, with MAP, labelled and ready for market.
CASE STUDY On the same machine we are also doing the White rock, also labelled and ready for Market.
Individual solutions are our strength
Thank you for your attention!