Abstract
The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of in-package dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) atmospheric cold plasma (CP) on meat color, microbiological quality and safety of chicken breast meat (pectoralis major). Raw broiler breast meat was collected from a local commercial plant. Noninoculated meat samples and meat samples inoculated with Campylobacter and Salmonella were packed in polymeric trays with air. The packaged samples were CP-treated at 70 kV for different times (0, 60, 180, or 300 sec) and stored at 4°C for 5 days. Microbial counts (psychrophiles, Campylobacter, Salmonella) and meat color (International Commission on Illumination (CIE) L∗a∗b∗) were measured before CP treatments and after 5 days of posttreatment storage. Psychrophile growth was inhibited (P<0.05), and both food-borne pathogens were reduced (P<0.05) by more than 90% with CP treatments regardless of treatment time. No differences in pathogenic bacterial counts were observed between the three treatment times; however, increasing treatment time beyond 60 sec resulted in additional inhibition of psychrophilic growth. There were no differences (P>0.05) in a∗ and b∗ values between pretreatment and posttreatment plus storage; however, all CP treatments resulted in increased L∗ value (P<0.05). Results indicate that in-package CP treatments can be used to reduce both microbial spoilage and food-borne pathogen risks, which could increase microbial food safety, although it may result in an overall paler breast meat, and the reduction (about 1 log) in pathogenic and spoilage microbes are limited.
Highlights
Microbiological quality and safety of raw poultry meat has been a challenge for the poultry industry
In-package dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) atmospheric cold plasma (CP) is a new nonthermal antimicrobial technique for inactivating food-borne pathogens and extending shelf life of fresh food products [4,5,6,7,8]. e CP system consists of two conductive electrodes separated with dielectric layers and a gas gap [4, 8,9,10,11]
RONS interact with membranes and macromolecules and lead to injury and/or death of microbes [17]. e in-package CP allows for the treatment of food products inside sealed packages and eliminates the risk of postprocessing contamination
Summary
Microbiological quality and safety of raw poultry meat has been a challenge for the poultry industry Nonthermal antimicrobial treatments, such as chilling with chlorinated water during processing, and strategies, such as cold-chain management and modi ed atmosphere packaging (MAP) postpackaging, are used to control microbial quality and safety of fresh poultry meat products during storage. They appear either not to be e ective against microbial contamination postprocessing or to have limited e ects on microbial control during postpackaging handling (marketing and distribution; for example, microbiological shelf life of fresh raw chicken meat is limited to 6–8 day at 4.4°C [1]). The effects of the CP treatments for different times were further evaluated on food-borne pathogenic and psychrophilic bacteria of packaged raw chicken breast meat (pectoralis major). e effect of the treatments on meat appearance was estimated using surface color measurements
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