Shelf life of ground poultry meat stored under modified atmosphere.
The shelf life of ground chicken and turkey meat packaged under a modified atmosphere containing O2 and a high level of CO2 (62% CO2, 8% O2, and 30% N2; gas-1), or a gas mixture without O2 (20% CO2 and 80% N2; gas-2) was evaluated for 20 d at 1 C. Meat packaged under gas-2 maintained a higher a* value (redness) throughout the experiment and generally had a more appealing color than the meat packaged using gas-1. Microbial populations were assessed after 8, 12, and 15 d of storage. Total aerobic mesophilic counts were higher in chicken meat than in turkey throughout storage. Coliforms and Escherichia coli counts were lower in meat packaged under gas-1. After 15 d of storage at 1 C, Brochothrix thermosphacta was detected only in ground chicken meat packaged using gas-2. Meat packaged under the gas mixtures tested had similar counts for presumptive pseudomonads, Staphylococcus aureus, and lactic acid bacteria. These results indicate that an appropriate gas mixture can maintain a desirable color in ground poultry meat but offers no guarantees with respect to the microbial profile of meat.
Saucier
L
L
Food Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, St-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada. saucierl@EM.AGR.CA
Gendron
C
C
Gariépy
C
C
D000818:Animals; D001272:Atmosphere; D001420:Bacteria, Aerobic; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis; D002645:Chickens / Q000382:microbiology; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004926:Escherichia coli; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005519:Food Preservation; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D009211:Myoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis; D010100:Oxygen / Q000032:analysis; D011202:Poultry Products / Q000032:analysis / Q000382:microbiology; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus; D013997:Time Factors; D014422:Turkeys / Q000382:microbiology
D008055:Lipids; D009211:Myoglobin; D011506:Proteins; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D009584:Nitrogen; D010100:Oxygen