The comparative effects of nitrogen and oxygen on the microflora of beef steaks in carbon dioxide-containing modified atmosphere vacuum skin-packaging (MA-VSP) systems.
The effects of 80% oxygen-20% carbon dioxide (O2-CO2) and 80% nitrogen-20% carbon dioxide (N2-CO2) atmospheres were compared with respect to the microbial and sensory characteristics of vacuum skin-packaged grain-fed beef steaks stored at -1 and 4 degrees C. In both N2-CO2 and O2-CO2 atmospheres, lactobacilli were predominant over Brochothrix, pseudomonads, enterobacteria and yeasts and moulds. The results of the current investigation showed that the O2-CO2 atmospheres did not yield total viable counts in excess of 10(5) cfu cm-2 on beef steaks after 4 weeks of storage. However, the sensory analysis and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values (as a measure of oxidative rancidity) of the products were unacceptable at this time. In contrast, the N2-CO2 atmospheres yielded maximum total viable counts of approximately 10(7) cfu cm-2 and the sensory analysis and TBA values of the product were judged to be acceptable after 4 weeks of storage at -1 degree C. These results indicate that sensory effects of the product were influenced to a greater extent by the chemical effects of high concentration of O2 on rancidity than by the high levels of lactobacilli.
Food Science Australia, Werribee, Victoria, Australia.
M J
MJ
Coventry
M W
MW
Hickey
R
R
Mawson
P
P
Drew
J
J
Wan
D
D
Krause
V
V
Boghossian
D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D002417:Cattle; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D005516:Food Microbiology; D018857:Food Packaging / Q000379:methods*; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013858:Thiobarbiturates / Q000032:analysis
D013858:Thiobarbiturates; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; C029684:thiobarbituric acid; D009584:Nitrogen; D010100:Oxygen