Shelf-life Extension and Colour Stabilisation of Beef Packaged in a Low O_2 Atmosphere Containing CO: Loin Steaks and Ground Meat

摘要

A combination of low O_2, high Co-2 and very low Co was investigated for packaging fresh beef steaks and ground meat. The following atmospheres were used; 70/100 O_2 + 20/100 CO_2 +10/100 N_ (CMA); 70/100 O_2 +_ 20/100 CO_2 + 9j/100 N_2 + 1/100 CO (HO-CO) and 24/100 O_2 +50/100 CO_2 + 25/100 N_2 + 1/100 CO (LO - CO). Bacterial counts showed that LO-CO atmosphere greatly reduced psychrotrophic population, so that log cfu cm~-2 was under 7.5 at 9 days of storage at 1 deg. C. All the objective measurements related to meat colour (a ~*, hue, Chroma and metmyoglobin concentration) revealed that the bright-red colour was more stabl in obth HO-CO and LO-CO atmospheres, reaching 29 days of storage with- out appreciable signs of oxidation. Sensory analysis confirmed these results.