Modified Atmosphere Packaging Provides Long-Term Solution for Food Manufacturers

Interest in nitrogen gas generation remains high in the food industry, predominantly due to the importance of Modified
Atmosphere Packaging (MAP), a technique, which helps maintain product freshness, quality and extends shelf life. The
compact, modular and self-contained MAXIGAS and MIDIGAS systems from Parker Domnick Hunter represent a
considerable advance in industrial scale nitrogen generation, providing businesses with a cost effective and practical method of generating their own nitrogen on site, from a conventional supply of compressed air. By providing a high performance and energy efficient system that produces nitrogen on-demand, MAXIGAS and MIDIGAS eliminates the need for traditional gas bottles and bulk storage facilities, which are costly, present health and safety issues and typically involve large numbers of freight movements. MAXIGAS was the first gas generation system able to deliver a reliable supply of nitrogen at a guaranteed, consistent purity, while offering significant improvements in energy efficiency. In addition, the modular design allows for ease of transportation, installation and servicing by comparison with existing supply options, while the user friendly systems can easily be expanded at a later date if the demand for nitrogen increases.

The MIDIGAS range in addition to the successful MAXIGAS nitrogen gas generation models have been developed as
compact, stand-alone units that allow food processing and packaging companies to produce their own supply of nitrogen in-situ and on demand. With investment payback typically being within 12 to 24 months and ongoing cost savings of up to 90%, the generators are capable of producing an immediate supply of high purity nitrogen, safely and reliably. The MIDIGAS and MAXIGAS generators are quick and easy to install, requiring only power and compressed air connections, and are modular in design, enabling each system to be extended as and when nitrogen requirements increase. The systems use proven pressure swing adsorption technology, with pairs of extruded aluminium modular columns filled with high performance carbon molecular sieves to adsorb oxygen from a compressed air supply. The larger nitrogen molecules pass through each sieve to a storage vessel, from where the nitrogen can be supplied at carefully controlled pressures as a carrier, make-up or purge gas.