4 Tips for Packaging Meat in 2024
"Best if Used by" dates are recommendations for peak-quality meats. The meats edging towards this date might not be as tasty or juicy as fresher meat, but they are fine to consume if properly packaged and stored.
If you want to sell out of your meats, no matter the "Use By" date, your packaging needs to be airtight. Consumers will judge a meat by its cover so make sure your packaging is safe and looks good.
Keep reading to learn tips for packaging meat in 2024.
1. Flexible Packaging
Flexible packaging for meat can include various materials. Plastic is the most popular, but these are other packaging materials:
- Cellophane
- Polyethylene
- Polypropylene (PP)
- Polyamide
- Polyester film
- Polyvinyl Chloride
- Aluminum foil
A majority of fresh meat gets sold wrapped in plastic. Transparent, breathable plastic films cover an absorbent pad and foam tray that keeps the meat wrapped.
Packaging meat in plastic packaging comes with a short case life because the meat can be exposed to oxygen. If your meat starts to brown in this packaging, your meat case will stand out for all of the wrong reasons.
2. Semi-Rigid Packaging
Another one of the ways to package meat is with semi-rigid materials. Semi-rigid packages take the benefits from rigid and flexible materials. It's constructed using hard plastic and similar materials.
This packaging option offers strength and often looks luxurious. Soft plastic is not part of the production process so there is no impact on the flavor of the meat.
Semi-rigid packaging is constructed with recyclable materials like strong plastic and glass.
3. Rigid Packaging
Rigid packaging contains meat in a stiff plastic tray with an absorbent pad inside. The meat and the pad are sealed with a high-barrier and transparent plastic film.
A machine vacuums the air out of the tray. The tray is then flushed with a changed atmosphere before being wrapped in a transparent film.
Purified gases are present in modified atmospheres, and may include:
- Nitrogen
- Carbon dioxide
- Oxygen
- Carbon monoxide
Each gas has a particular function in the packaging process.
4. Vacuum Packaging
Vacuum packaging is a food safety technique that preserves meat by avoiding contact with oxygen. Oxygen keeps pathogenic and food-spoilage bacteria alive and allows them to reproduce.
Food packaging loses air during this process and can preserve a wide range of foods. It's best suited for smoked fish, chicken, and sliced beef.
Vacuum-sealed meats have an extended refrigerator life. Still, all meats should be cooked within 10 days. You can increase meat sales and avoid waste when you package meat responsibly.
Packaging Meat: Use Meat Case Dividers for Your Store
After packaging your meat with these materials, pair them with meat case dividers. No matter which packaging method you choose, a meat case divider helps with displaying your products.
A custom meat case divides and separates various types of meat from each other. Selling meat is all about making it look appealing and we can help you do that.
At The Graphics Shop, we manufacture products with a wide variety of quality materials. Show off your packaging meat best practices with our printed meat cases. Request a quote from us today to get started.