Microbiological and organoleptic qualities of vacuum-packaged ground beef prepared from pasteurized manufacturing beef

Abstract

Manufacturing beef was pasteurized by immersion in water of 85 °C for 60 s, or was not pasteurized before being coarsely ground. The coarsely ground beef was vacuum-packaged and stored at 2 °C for up to 6 weeks. Before storage and at weekly intervals, three packs of pasteurized and three of unpasteurized beef were opened. The meat from each pack was finely ground and displayed in two overwrapped packs at 4 °C for 3 days after storage for up to 3 weeks, or for 2 days after longer storage times. Samples for microbiological analysis were obtained at the times of preparation of display packs and at the end of display. Displayed meat was assessed daily for colour, discolouration and retail acceptability, and for odour intensity and acceptability at the end of display. Before storage, the numbers of total aerobic bacteria, presumptive pseudomonads and presumptive Brochothrix thermosphacta recovered from pasteurized meat were >1 log unit less than the corresponding numbers recovered from unpasteurized meat, but the numbers of presumptive lactic acid bacteria and presumptive enterobacteria were <1 log unit less from pasteurized than from unpasteurized meat. After all periods of storage and display, the numbers of bacteria recovered from pasteurized and unpasteurized meat at each time were mostly similar. The colour of pasteurized meat was perceived as being paler than that of unpasteurized meat, but discolouration and retail acceptability of pasteurized and unpasteurized meat were perceived as similar at most times. The odours of displayed, pasteurized and unpasteurized meat were perceived to be similar at all times that odours were assessed. The findings indicate that pasteurizing of manufacturing beef to improve the microbiological safety of ground beef would not unacceptability degrade the appearance of the ground product, but that the storage life of ground beef would not be greatly extended by the treatment.