Plastic films have also been found to increase the shelf life of banana fruit. Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) of fresh fruit refers to the technique of sealing actively respiring produce in polymeric film packages to modify the O2 and CO2 levels within the package atmosphere. It is often desirable to generate an atmosphere low in O2 and/or high in CO2 to influence the metabolism of the product being packaged or the activity of decaycausing organisms to increase storability and/or shelf life. In addition to atmosphere modification, MAP vastly improves moisture retention, which can have a greater influence on preserving quality.