Method for inerting gable top carton head space

A method for inerting an atmosphere in a head space of a package formed on a form, fill and seal packaging machine comprising the steps of:

• providing an inerting system having an inerting gas source, an inerting gas heater, an inerting gas nozzle including an inlet, a plenum defining a flow space and a dispersion plate, the nozzle assembly including flanges extending from opposing sides of the plenum and defining a plane, the dispersion plate defining a plane that is spaced from the plane defined by the flanges, and a flow conduit extending between the inerting gas source and inerting gas heater and between the inerting gas heater and the inerting gas nozzle assembly;
• forming a package;
• filling the package with a product;
• providing an inerting gas through the inerting system;
• filtering the inerting gas;
• heating the inerting gas;
• inserting the inerting gas nozzle into the package at below an uppermost portion of top fin panels of the package;
• introducing the filtered inerting gas above the product in the package subsequent to filling;
• and
• sealing the package with the product and the inerting gas therein.