Pre-packaged meals are an increasingly popular product, providing busy adults with the support they need to properly nourish themselves without having to prepare time-consuming recipes (as well as other populations who need access to high-quality, convenient food). As a result of this, many prospective businesses are looking to break into this space and cater to these consumers. However, it’s important to acknowledge and address potential issues and find solutions before these aspects of running your business become a problem. Take, for example, keeping food safe and fresh. One way to achieve this is with Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP). Below, we’ll take a closer look at what MAP is, what the benefits are, and why it’s the right choice for your meal prep business.
What Is Modified Atmosphere Packaging?
Regardless of who you’re preparing meals for, reducing spoilage is the overall goal. If you’re producing food for a local population, your methods might start relatively simple since you’ll be able to produce those meals and ensure they reach the customer in time and in good condition. However, as you grow and expand your operations, you need to search for better sealing methods in order to ensure that your product remains fresher for longer so it can travel the distances it needs to make it to consumers.
Modified Atmosphere Packaging is a type of tray-sealing process in which Oxygen is removed from the interior of the packaging (more Oxygen results in faster spoilage due to bacterial growth and other microorganisms) and replaced with MAP gasses (Nitrogen and Carbon Dioxide) that serve to improve the longevity of the food. With the meal prep industry growing, more and more businesses are becoming aware of MAP and how it might be employed in their operations.
What Are the Benefits of Modified Atmosphere Packaging?
So, why might you decide to use MAP as you begin scaling your meal prep business? Here are some of the major benefits of switching to MAP instead of using traditional snap-on packaging and similar packaging methods.
- MAP ensures that your food stays fresh for as long as possible. With other methods that don’t properly remove Oxygen or replace it with the right gases, you run the risk of seeing food spoilage earlier, which puts your customers and your business at risk. If you’re looking for how to extend the shelf life of food products, MAP is the solution.
- A big part of the meal-prep appeal is the look. It’s not enough to have food that tastes good. Customers must feel compelled enough to purchase it as well. Having too much Oxygen in your packaging can result in food that looks less desirable to eat, which can result in you driving away prospective customers. Using MAP can help preserve the high-quality look of your food and boost customer satisfaction and loyalty.
- MAP Packs are extremely versatile and can be utilized for a wide range of applications, helping you expand your product line so you can reach even more consumers.
- MAP Packs are often much more convenient for customers, resulting in products that they’re going to want to purchase rather than products that might deter them.
- MAP Packs are often more economical than some of the other packaging solutions and can help you avoid food waste, which can be a major blow to your business’s finances if you’re finding that the bulk of the food you’re packaging isn’t remaining fresh.
Overall, the choice to switch to MAP is going to support your business on several levels, allowing you to cut down on costs, support your customer’s needs, and bolster your business as you scale.
Improve Your Meal Prep Business With the Support of Roberts Technology Group, Inc.
If you’re looking to switch to MAP, we’re here to help! We offer a wide range of meal prep packaging and equipment to help you start and scale your meal prep business. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you.