Packaging MAP Calculator

Design modified atmosphere packaging gas mixes and estimate shelf life extension for food products.

O₂ concentration (%)

CO₂ concentration (%)

Package volume (mL)

Product weight (g)

Storage temperature (°C)

Base shelf life (days)

Tab to move between fields

Shelf life extension factor

2.28

Estimated MAP shelf life (days)

11.4

N₂ balance (%)65

Gas-to-product ratio1.05

CO₂ absorbed by product (mL)89.3

Package collapse risk (%)34.1

O₂ depletion time (hrs)5.2

How to Use This Calculator

Enter target O₂ and CO₂ percentages for your modified atmosphere.
Set package volume in mL, product weight in grams, storage temperature, and base shelf life without MAP.
The calculator shows N₂ balance, gas-to-product ratio, shelf life extension factor, estimated MAP shelf life, CO₂ absorbed, package collapse risk, and O₂ depletion time.
Select gas mix and packaging material with appropriate barrier properties based on the O₂ and CO₂ targets.
Monitor CO₂ absorption collapse risk—if above 30%, increase N₂ or reduce CO₂ in the mix.

How the result changes with CO₂ concentration (%)

CO₂ concentration (%)	Shelf life extension factor	Estimated MAP shelf life (days)
10	1.37	6.8
35	2.5	12.5
65	3.87	19.3
90	5.01	25

O₂ concentration (%): Target oxygen percentage. Low O₂ slows oxidation; some products need O₂ for color (e.g., red meat 70–80%).
CO₂ concentration (%): Target carbon dioxide percentage. CO₂ inhibits microbial growth (typically 20–50%).
Package volume (mL): Total internal volume of the package in milliliters.
Product weight (g): Weight of the food product in grams.
Storage temperature (°C): Intended storage temperature. Optimal MAP effectiveness at 0–4 °C.
Base shelf life (days): Shelf life of the product without MAP (in air) at the storage temperature.

N₂ balance (%): Nitrogen fills the remainder. Inert filler that prevents package collapse.
Gas-to-product ratio: Volume ratio of headspace gas to product weight. Typically 1:1 to 3:1.
Shelf life extension factor: Multiplier for shelf life compared to air packaging.
Estimated MAP shelf life (days): Predicted shelf life with the specified MAP conditions.
CO₂ absorbed by product (mL): Volume of CO₂ that dissolves into the product (Henry's law estimate).
Package collapse risk (%): Risk of package collapse from CO₂ absorption reducing headspace.
O₂ depletion time (hrs): Hours for respiring products to consume all O₂ in headspace.

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
O₂ concentration (%) = 5, CO₂ concentration (%) = 30, Package volume (mL) = 500, Product weight (g) = 250 = 6 input(s) provided
Calculate Shelf life extension factor
Shelf life extension factor = max(1, co2Factor * max(0.3, o2Factor) * tempFactor)
2.28 = 2.28
Calculate Estimated MAP shelf life
Estimated MAP shelf life = baseShelfLifeDays * extensionFactor
11.4 = 11.4
Calculate N₂ balance
N₂ balance
65 = 65
Calculate Gas-to-product ratio
1.05 = 1.05