You Must To Know About Meat Packaging

Meat is one of the most indispensable ingredients in our daily life. Currently, beef, pork, poultry, steak and sausage are the most commonly consumed meats. In order to allow more people around the world to taste the freshest food while retaining the original flavor of the food, higher requirements are placed on meat packaging. More and more meat suppliers are beginning to look for better packaging solutions to meet the growing market demand.

Benefit Of Meat Packaging

Extend the shelf life of food: In order to reduce food waste, many businesses try to extend the shelf life of food and increase the sales cycle. Therefore, high-quality meat packaging must solve this basic problem. And the widely used MAP (modified atmosphere packaging) greatly improves the shelf life of food and is the only choice for businesses pursuing quality.

Lock the freshness of the product: Better packaging can not only prevent the growth of bacteria by reducing the oxygen content, but also better lock the moisture of the meat, effectively preserve the meat and retain its original flavor.

Conducive to protecting food and transportation: By fixing the product at the bottom of the box, it is effectively shockproof, friction-proof and shatterproof. The packaged meat can resist impact and collision during transportation and is not easy to leak, effectively protecting the product and facilitating logistics transportation and storage.

Improve product appearance: High-quality meat packaging can not only improve the appearance and value of the product, which will be more attractive on the shelf, and you can directly touch and check the quality of the product.

Type Of Meat Packaging

MAP packaging style: MAP can better extend the shelf life of food by using modified atmosphere fresh-keeping gas (2 to 4 gases are mixed according to the characteristics of the food) to replace the air in the packaging box or packaging bag, change the external environment of the food in the box (bag), reduce or eliminate the oxygen in the package, effectively inhibit the growth and reproduction of bacteria (microorganisms), and thus extend the shelf life or shelf life of the food.

Vacuum packaging style: The vacuum packaging method removes air and its contaminants before sealing. The process forms a cavity by heating and molding the film into the desired shape, manually or automatically placing the product in the package, extracting all the air and any particles, and then sealing. Longer shelf life, stronger product protection, better flavor preservation, and anti-mold and anti-bacteria. It is also cost-effective and can be used with hard or soft packaging.

Heat shrink film packaging: Wrapping food with heat shrink film can reduce direct contact with air and better protect the product, but it does not use vacuum packaging and cannot provide an excellent oxygen-free environment. Therefore, under refrigeration, the shelf life is shorter than vacuum and skin packaging. It can be used for the display of instant food in supermarkets.

Skin packaging style: Skin packaging refers to the use of top film to cover the surface of food, heat sealing to make the film form a sealed environment around the product, and use vacuum to eliminate air that will accelerate product deterioration. Skin packaging machines are often used in instant food industries such as beef, seafood and cheese. Its transparent and beautiful appearance packaging is often used for display on high-end supermarket food shelves.

Stretch film thermoforming packaging style: Stretch film vacuum packaging machine can complete the automatic thermoforming of the lower film, automatic or manual filling of materials, vacuum, inflation (optional), sealing, coding (optional), cutting and other continuous actions to heat-seal and package meat. It has good preservation effect and attractive outer packaging. Most importantly, it adopts fully automatic packaging method, which increases packaging efficiency and reduces labor costs. It is the first choice of large food factories and suppliers.

How To Choose The Right Meat Packaging Machine

When it comes to packaging meat products, various specialized machines are designed to handle different types of packaging styles. Each type of meat packaging machine offers unique benefits and caters to specific needs depending on the product, its shelf life requirements, and the desired presentation. Below are the essential factors to consider when selecting meat packaging equipment:

Definite Type Of Meat

You need to specify the type of meat you want to package. If you want to package fresh meat, you need to keep it fresh and extend its shelf life. We recommend vacuum machines and tray machines with higher vacuum levels. If you want to package ready-to-eat meat (sausages, cooked food, etc.), the vacuum requirements are not so high, so we recommend flow packaging. If you want to package air-dried meat (beef jerky, etc.), we recommend stretch film thermoforming packaging to reduce contact with air and moisture. Different types of meat require different packaging methods, so you need to tell us the type of packaging you want to achieve the best sealing effect.

Selecting Packaging Style

The choice of packaging style depends on factors such as product presentation, distribution requirements, and market positioning. Different machine configurations, from single chamber to continuous systems, offer varying levels of automation and throughput. The selected style must balance product protection, visual appeal, and practical considerations such as ease of use and storage requirements.

Production Volume Requirements

Production capacity needs directly influence the type and size of packaging equipment required. Whether processing 500 units per day for small operations or over 5000 units for large-scale production, the equipment must match the intended throughput while considering factors such as labor availability, operational shifts, and seasonal demand fluctuations. This ensures optimal equipment utilization and return on investment while maintaining product quality and packaging efficiency.

Type of meat packaging machine

When it comes to packaging meat products, various specialized machines are designed to handle different packaging requirements. Each type of meat packaging machine offers unique advantages and is suited for specific production scales, operational needs, and market segments. Here are the primary types of meat packaging machines commonly used in the industry:

1. Vacuum Packaging Machine：It extends shelf life by removing air to prevent spoilage and freezer burn. The vacuum machine is mainly classified into bench, single chamber, double chamber, continuous vacuum machine, which can be applied to the packaging of different scenes. Wildly used in normal food packaging,meat,fruit and so on.

2. Thermoforming Packaging Machine：Used for both vacuum skin packaging and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), this thermoforming packaging machine is fully automatic mold, suitable for large factory line packaging production, wildly used in meats,cheese,sausages and so on.

3. Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) Machines：Replaces air inside the package with a gas mix (CO2, nitrogen) to prolong shelf life, wildly used in Pre-cooked meats, sausages, fresh cuts.

4. Tray Sealing Machines: Seals pre-formed trays with a film lid, often in combination with MAP, widely used in lunch tray,meal tray, Fresh cuts, minced meat, and ready-to-cook products.

5.Shrink Wrap Machine: Provides a tight-fitting film around the product, improving aesthetics and shelf life. Wildly used in fruit,vegetable,cooked food,poultry and so on.

Conclusion

Hualian offers advanced and cost-effective meat packaging machines tailored to meet the diverse needs of food suppliers. Whether you're looking to extend the shelf life of your meat products, improve packaging efficiency, or enhance product presentation, Hualian provides the right solution. We offer a range of packaging machine models, allowing customers to select the most suitable equipment based on their production requirements, ensuring optimal protection of products during transportation and sales. Choose Hualian packaging machines to give your meat products a competitive edge in the market.