1995 Volume 42 Issue 7 Pages 498-504
This study was conducted to determine the effect of two modified atmosphere packaging systems with and without vacuum treatment on storage quality characteristic of thin sliced beef stored at 5°C. Thin sliced beef was packaged in atmospheres of: (A) air without gas flush treatment (control), (B) 20% CO2+80%O2 after vacuum treatment and (C) 20% CO2+80% O2 without vacuum treatment. After 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 days of storage, each sample was evaluated for pH value, microbial growth, metmyoglobin (MetMb) formation, lipid oxidation (TBA number). The pH value of the control was significantly higher than those of (B) and (C) samples after 8 days of storage. The viable and psychrotrophic bacterial counts and the number of coliforms of (B) and (C) samples were less than those of the control during storage. The control, (B) and (C) samples attained a MetMb level of 20% after 3, 5 and 6 days of storage, respectively. At 6 days of storage, MetMb formation of (C) sample was significantly lower than that of the control, but the difference in the results of the control and (B) sample could not be regarded as significant. Although the TBA numbers of (B) and (C) samples were higher than those of the control, both samples maintained a TBA number of 3.0 even after 6 days of storage. These results suggested that the differences in pH value, microbial growth, lipid oxidation of vacuum between samples with and without vacuum treatment were not recognized significantly, but the rate of MetMb formation may be different between them during storage.
