Labthink, the Guard for Better Shelf-life

USA (SANEPR.com) June 9, 2009 -- Headspace testing is very important to Vegetable MAP packages and shelf-life of the products. Labthink introduces new headspace tester for better fresh keeping guarantee of MAP packages and shelf life.
Fresh vegetables and fruits are still living organs after picking. They mainly take respiration as main metabolic activity. Since they are separated from the matrix, have no more supply and can only consume the carbohydrate, pectin, vitamins and organic acid to live; this results in quality decline of those vegetables and fruits. The core concerning for vegetable and fruit fresh-keeping is how to slow down respiration and restrain metabolic activity so as to keep vegetables and fruits in dormancy or semi-dormancy status. Besides commonly applied frozen storage, the frequently applied methods include modified frozen storage and complex MAP and frozen storage. At present, the world advanced fresh keeping method is the above-mentioned complex MAP and frozen storage, which can perfectly combine the modified chain with the frozen storage chain together.
The principle of complex MAP is to apply complex fresh keeping gas to replace the air inside the plastic packages or boxes so as to change the gas proportion inside the bags or boxes; thus, forms a small modified air environment condition inside the bags or boxes, that is, a small modified air room. Then, with the application of frozen storage, metabolic activity is slow down and freshness is prolonged.
MAP gas usually consists of carbon dioxide, nitrogen and oxygen. Oxygen content reduction can reduce respiration of the vegetables and fruits and restrain metabolic activity; carbon dioxide concentration improvement can further slow down respiration; nitrogen is one of the inert gases with no effects on the vegetables and fruits and acts as the filling gas. Different vegetables and fruits require different gas proportion, which is mainly determined by the characteristics of the vegetables and fruits themselves. Therefore, in order to realize vegetable and fruit MAP fresh keeping, the analysis of MAP gases is a must. Headspace gas analyzer is for gas content analysis inside MAP packages, and can suggest best gas proportion with tests. Labthink (www.labthink.cn ) PARAM HGA-01 Headspace Gas Analyzer is applicable for such tests. PARAM HGA-01 Headspace Gas Analyzer specializes in the measurement of the content of oxygen, carbon dioxide and mixing proportion in the sealed bags, bottles, cans and other packages. It can be used to evaluate the gas componets, content, mixing proportion in the package rapidly and accurately in production lines, warehouses, laboratories and other occasions, thereby to guide the production and ensure the shelf life of products.
Water ingredient permeation is another important issue for vegetable and fruit fresh keeping. Once the water ingredient runs off, it would influence the tastes greatly. Some institutions input water into the packages, which is not recommendable, since over amount of water content would speed up the product deterioration. This problem can be resolved by control the water vapor permeation performance (or barrier property), that is, by using proper packaging material to reduce water vapor losses as well as control the gas mixture reasonably. Such testing can be done with water vapor permeation testing instruments as PERME TSY-T series of water vapor permeability testers and PERME W3/330, etc. Gas permeation control can not be neglected when testing barrier property, PERME VAC-V1 and VAC-V2 Gas Permeability Testers are for those quality control demands.
Actually, there are many researches on MAP vegetable and fruit fresh keeping by various institutes and academies worldwide. This is a systematic project. Testing items include barrier property, headspace analysis and many others. However, professional headspace gas analyzer, gas permeation testers and water vapor permeation testers are the premise for research and control works of those institutes and academies. Labthink Instruments Co., Ltd., as the excellent provider of testing instruments and testing services, is willing to cooperate with you.
About Labthink: Labthink, the excellent provider of testing instruments and testing services, is devoted to provide most excellent and complete quality control solutions for pharmaceutical, foodstuff, cosmetics, packaging, printing, adhesive, automotive, petrochemistry, environment, biology, new energy, construction, aviation and electronic industries worldwide.
Labthink Instruments Co., Ltd.
Mark Won Secretary@labthink.cn
Tel: +86 (0)531 85864214-8058
Fax: +86 (0)531 85812140
www.labthink.cn