While store wrapped packaging for w

While store wrapped packaging for whole muscle beef still prevails, the 2010 National Meat
Case Study sponsored by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), the Pork
Checkoff and Sealed Air Corporation indicates that over 30% of whole muscle beef is now
packaged in a central location and shipped to the retail store case-ready. The dominant retail
format for case-ready beef is also EPS/PVC. These packages are shipped from processors to
retailers in high-oxygen or low-oxygen master packs. The packs are removed from the master
packs at the store level for retail display. Beef exposed to oxygen in the EPS/PVC format has a
consumer-desired fresh red color.
Vacuum-packaged flat iron steaks, middle meats and roasts can be found in many
supermarkets, though they represent less than 10% of all case-ready meat sold, largely due to
the meat’s purple color.
Why FreshCase® Technology Was Developed
FreshCase® packaging films were developed to allow red meats to bloom to a fresh red color in
an oxygen-free vacuum package. The red color is achieved by extruding a tightly controlled
amount of sodium nitrite (NaNO2) into the meat contact layer of the vacuum packaging. Fig. 2