1. Why monitor the atmosphere in food processing facilities?

1.1 Issues

The main issues are hygiene, operator safety and consumer health. The secondary, but essential, challenge is to ensure the commercial life of the finished product, protected from spoilage processes.

Environmental conditioning is defined as the control of the working environment for food. It is one of the five factors involved in any production process, known as the "5 M" rule: Manpower, Work method, Work environment, Raw materials, Equipment.

Mastery of the environment plays a part in the substantial qualities of the finished products marketed:

• guaranteed control of pathogens up to the product's expiration date;

• guaranteed fresh until expiry ;...