An evaluation of the effectiveness of FreshCase® technology to extend the shelf life of beef and pork
Date
2012
Authors
Yang, Xiang, author
Belk, Keith E., advisor
Woerner, Dale R., advisor
Chapman, Phillip L., committee member
Tatum, J. Daryl, committee member
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Abstract
This research evaluated the effect of FreshCase®, a novel packaging technology that has been shown to extend the shelf life of whole muscle beef and ground beef, whole muscle pork and ground pork sausages by stabilizing fresh meat color. FreshCase® utilizes a high-barrier nitrite containing film in conjunction with vacuum packaging technology. Storage life was defined by the number of days required to reach an aerobic psychrotrophic plate count of 107 log CFU/g, and all treatmes were stored and evaluated until storage life expired. The storage life for beef steaks stored in FreshCase® packages at 4°C was 36 days; and the shelf life for ground beef stored in FreshCase® packages at 4°C was 12 days. The shelf life for pork chops stored in FreshCase® packages at 1°C was 46 days; and the shelf life for ground pork sausages stored in FreshCase® packages at 1°C was 19 days. Values for CIE a* (redness) were greater (P < 0.05) for FreshCase®-packaged samples for both beef steaks and ground beef with the increase of storage time. Both pork chops and sausages stored in FreshCase® packages retained more acceptable redder color (P < 0.05) than those stored in Control packages throughout storage. By the point at which spoilage was detected, off-odors of putrid, acid, sour and rancidity for FreshCase®-packaged samples were detected, but were present at very low level. Likewise, by the point of spoilage, no significant differences (P > 0.05) were found between samples in control and FreshCase® packages in all off-odors detection for both pork chops and sausages and the intensities of these off-odors were very low. Also, beef and pork samples resulted in very low (1.19 mg malonaldehyde/kg and 0.55 mg malonaldehyde/kg, respectively) TBA values throughout storage. Therefore, utilization of FreshCase® Technology in whole muscle beef and ground beef, whole muscle pork and ground pork sausages results in a more stable fresh red meat color with a low level of off-odors, and lipid oxidation. FreshCase® did not influence microbial growth in vacuum packaged samples.
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Rights Access
Subject
beef
color
FreshCase®
pork
storage life