Meat + Poultry - August 2007 - 62

MAP

makes it so favorable for deli meats
and other cooked products that need
a low-oxygen atmosphere. "The 1000
doesn't say anything about how well
the package is sealed," he continues, but with the packaging line the
fi rst possible point of failure, it's important to know that the process is
taking place in the appropriate environment, with the correct amount of
oxygen removed.
"There are a number of competing
devices on the market that measure
oxygen in chambers," but the OxySense approach distinguishes itself
by requiring neither extraction nor
pumps, Gerard points out. Nor are the
cycle times of competitive equipment
"consistent with high-speed packaging lines," he adds. In addition, the
OxySense system provides complete
process documentation. "We think Europeans are going to mandate trace-

ability by package, and the MAP 1000
gives traceability by flush lot."
Looking ahead, OxySense has plans
to fill another void in MAP monitoring: on-site leak detection. "Currently,
there is no mechanism for testing these
packages out in the field, and we think
that's a real weakness," Gerard says.
The company is working on applying
its OxyDot sensor technology to facilitate downstream retail testing. "The
OxyDot is already in use in lab instruments. If we put it in a package, it can
measure oxygen - non-destructively
- at any time throughout the product
shelf-life with a hand-held reader." Right
now, the two hurdles are high cost and
regulatory approval, but the company,
with several "substantial partners," is
working to overcome both.
"We have been approached by a Japanese supermarket chain to put our device in their check-out lanes to scan for

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Tackling inspection from a different angle, Bizerba USA/CPOR Solutions Inc.,
Richmond, Va., is engaged in a project
that uses its enhanced vision capabilities to scan modified atmosphere packages for leaking - as well as other associated tasks.
Visioning systems typically provide
much more information than the immediate application calls for, explains
Bizerba consultant Cal Gray. The challenge is getting creative to fully utilize
the data available. For example, "as
a system inspects a tray pack of red
meat, we ask, 'What could be a problem?' 'How about the seal?'" If the color
doesn't match all the way around the

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Meat + Poultry - August 2007

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