title: The effect of carbon monoxide pretreatment exposure time on the colour stability and quality attributes of vacuum packaged beef steaks.
abstract: The effect of 5% CO pretreatments prior to vacuum packaging of beef striploin steaks (Longissimus thoracis et lumborum, LTL) on quality attributes, primarily colour stability was investigated. The aim was to determine the optimum pretreatment that would induce the desirable red colour, while allowing discoloration to occur by the end of a 28-day display period (2°C), so as to not mask spoilage. A range of pretreatment exposure times (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 15 and 24h) were applied to steaks using a gas mixture of 5% CO, 60% CO2and 35% N2. The 5h CO pretreatment exposure time achieved the desirable colour and discoloration reached unacceptable levels (a*=12, C*=16) by the use-by date (28days), thus ensuring consumers' of a reliable visual indication of freshness and addressing concerns about safety. The 5% CO pretreatment had no negative effect on microbiological safety, lipid oxidation, cooking loss and WBSF measurements at the end of storage (P>0.05).
authors.affiliation: Teagasc Food Research Centre, Ashtown, Dublin 15, Ireland; School of Food Science and Environmental Health, Dublin Institute of Technology, Cathal Brugha Street, Dublin 1, Ireland.
authors.forename: Lauren Anne
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Van Rooyen
authors.affiliation: Teagasc Food Research Centre, Ashtown, Dublin 15, Ireland.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.affiliation: School of Food Science and Environmental Health, Dublin Institute of Technology, Cathal Brugha Street, Dublin 1, Ireland.
authors.forename: Sarah M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Crawley
authors.affiliation: School of Food Science and Environmental Health, Dublin Institute of Technology, Cathal Brugha Street, Dublin 1, Ireland. Electronic address: David.I.OConnor@dit.ie.
authors.forename: David I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: O'Connor
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002417:Cattle; D003116:Color; D003296:Cooking; D018857:Food Packaging / Q000379:methods*; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000737:chemistry; D009584:Nitrogen; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D000069466:Red Meat / Q000032:analysis* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D002248:Carbon Monoxide; D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: Beef; Carbon monoxide; Colour; Meat quality; Modified atmosphere packaging; Pretreatment