Abstract
Nowadays, active packaging plays a key role in the food sector, improving the safety and quality of food and, at the same time, extending its shelf life. The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy that an active absorbent pad has in limiting microbial growth during the shelf-life of fresh bovine meat. The experiment was carried out on 50 slices of eye of round (semitendinosus muscle) of an adult bovine, packaged in two different packs, one containing the conventional pad (C: Control group) and the other containing the active pad (PAD group). The analyses, performed at 0, 3 and 6 days of refrigeration storage (4 °C), concerned the pH, color, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVBN) and microbiological parameters. The packaging with the active pad had no noticeable effect on the pH, but with regard to the color coordinates, the meat at day 6 was lighter than the control group (p < 0.01). The innovative pad was able to delay the growth of all the microorganisms investigated, but only at day 3 (p < 0.05 to p < 0.001) compared to the control group. Furthermore, the TVBN values were lower than the control ones at both the third (p = 0.036) and sixth (p < 0.01) day of analysis. All samples were negative for coagulase positive staphylococci, L. monocytogenes, and Salmonella spp. In conclusion, following a preliminary examination, the packaging with the active pad was potentially effective in delaying microbial growth and it positively affected the color and TVBN of beef meat.
Highlights
The active pad tested in this study was observed to be effective in limiting the growth of bacteria the ∆E values, color differences between groups can be noticed after 6 days of storage (Table 2)
Analyzing the ∆E values over time, it emerged that the meat color remained stable until antimicrobial efficiency was reported for those microorganisms which are known to be involved in day 3 (D0–D3), but changed at day 6 (D0–D6) regardless of the packaging
The positive effects obtained in regard to meat color and the reduction in total volatile basic nitrogen (TVBN) values at the end of the observation period, highlight the better condition of the meat packaged with the active pad
Summary
The acceptability of fresh meat is due to its nutritional and dietetic properties, and to food safety aspect that may be affected by different factors such as the hygienic conditions of the equipment and the premises where carcasses and meat cuts are handled, storage conditions and packaging methods [1].In general, regardless of the possibility of developing foodborne disease for the consumer, high microbial contamination, of spoilage bacteria, negatively affects the shelf life, quality and sensorial meat properties [2].packaging manufacturers respond to the producers’ need to preserve food, especially highly perishable food such as fresh meat, from contamination and alteration during commercialization, while at the same time meeting the consumers’ demand to buy safe and high quality food [3,4,5].Appl. The acceptability of fresh meat is due to its nutritional and dietetic properties, and to food safety aspect that may be affected by different factors such as the hygienic conditions of the equipment and the premises where carcasses and meat cuts are handled, storage conditions and packaging methods [1]. Regardless of the possibility of developing foodborne disease for the consumer, high microbial contamination, of spoilage bacteria, negatively affects the shelf life, quality and sensorial meat properties [2]. Packaging manufacturers respond to the producers’ need to preserve food, especially highly perishable food such as fresh meat, from contamination and alteration during commercialization, while at the same time meeting the consumers’ demand to buy safe and high quality food [3,4,5].
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