title: Effect of modified atmosphere and vacuum packaging on some quality characteristics and the shelf-life of "morcilla", a typical cooked blood sausage.
abstract: The effect of modified atmosphere and vacuum packaging on the shelf-life of "morcilla", a traditional cooked blood sausage, was investigated. A total of 99 "morcillas" were packaged under vacuum and in modified atmosphere using three different gas mixtures: 15:35:50/O(2):N(2):CO(2) (atmosphere 1), 60:40/N(2):CO(2) (atmosphere 2) and 40:60/N(2):CO(2) (atmosphere 3), and stored during 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks at 4 °C. Shelf life evaluation was based on pH, water activity (a(w)), colour (CIE L*, a*, b*, C* and h*), TBARS formation and microbial counts. The results indicated that, in general, storage time affected (P<0.05) all parameters whereas no significant differences were observed (P>0.05) among packaging conditions. Based on the microbial counts, the shelf-life of "morcilla" would be greater than 8 weeks for all packaging conditions. Samples packaged with high CO(2) concentrations (40:60/N(2):CO(2)) showed the lowest values of TBARS at the end of storage.
authors.affiliation: Fundación Centro Tecnolóxico da Carne, Avda. Galicia No 4, Parque Tecnolóxico de Galicia, San Cibrao das Viñas, 32900 Ourense, Spain.
authors.forename: Aida
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cachaldora
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lorenzo
authors.forename: M Camino
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: García-Fontán
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D003080:Cold Temperature; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003116:Color; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D003296:Cooking; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control; D005516:Food Microbiology; D018857:Food Packaging / Q000379:methods*; D063427:Food Quality; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008461:Meat Products / Q000032:analysis* / Q000382:microbiology; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D013552:Swine; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000032:analysis; D014618:Vacuum; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D014867:Water; D002245:Carbon Dioxide