STRATEGIES FOR PROLONGING THE SHELF LIFE OF MINCED BEEF PATTIES

The study of different strategies for prolonging the shelf life of fresh minced beef patties was addressed in this work. Fresh minced beef was supplemented with thymol (THY) at levels of 250, 500 and 750 mg per kg of ground beef. Treated samples were packed using a high barrier film and stored in refrigerated conditions (4C) under ordinary atmosphere packaging and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) conditions for 16 days. The microbiological quality decay kinetic was determined by monitoring the following microorganisms: Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas spp., lactic acid bacteria, Brochothrix thermosphacta, coliforms and total psychrotrophic viable count. Results show that THY, working alone, was effective on coliforms and Enterobacteriaceae, whereas it does not seem to inhibit to a great extent the growth of the other microbial populations. On the other hand, an increased amount of THY, under MAP conditions, had better effects on the product quality, with a consequent prolongation of the shelf life. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Great interest is developing in food bio-preservation, because of the ever-increasing needs to protect consumers' health and to valorize the naturalness and safety of food products. However, very few works have been carried out on the applications of bio-preservatives to extend the shelf life of fresh meat products. This study, therefore, was mainly initiated to evaluate the possibility of extending the shelf life of packed fresh meat patties by a combination of thymol (THY) to other extrinsic factors such as storage temperatures and modified atmosphere during packaging. Interesting results were obtained suggesting that THY can perform an efficient synergy with modified atmosphere conditions and could be advantageously utilized by the meat industry.

[1]  C. Gill,et al.  The display life of retail-packaged beef steaks after their storage in master packs under various atmospheres. , 1994, Meat science.

[2]  G. Nychas,et al.  A study of the minimum inhibitory concentration and mode of action of oregano essential oil, thymol and carvacrol , 2001, Journal of applied microbiology.

[3]  M. D. Del Nobile,et al.  Suitability of bifidobacteria and thymol as biopreservatives in extending the shelf life of fresh packed plaice fillets , 2005, Journal of applied microbiology.

[4]  G Bertelsen,et al.  Colour stability and lipid oxidation of fresh beef. Development of a response surface model for predicting the effects of temperature, storage time, and modified atmosphere composition. , 2000, Meat science.

[5]  F. Villani,et al.  Changes in the Spoilage-Related Microbiota of Beef during Refrigerated Storage under Different Packaging Conditions , 2006, Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

[6]  D. Allan Butterfield,et al.  Interactions Between Carnosine and the Different Redox States of Myoglobin , 1995 .

[7]  R H Dainty,et al.  Symposium on microbial changes in foods. Changes caused by microbes in spoilage of meats. , 1971, The Journal of applied bacteriology.

[8]  G. Eikelenboom,et al.  Effect of dietary vitamin E supplementation, fat level and packaging on colour stability and lipid oxidation in minced beef. , 2000, Meat science.

[9]  J. Pérez-Álvarez,et al.  Antioxidant and antibacterial activities of natural extracts: application in beef meatballs. , 2005, Meat science.

[10]  E. Borch,et al.  Bacterial spoilage of meat and cured meat products. , 1996, International journal of food microbiology.

[11]  John Henry Wells,et al.  APPLICATIONS OF DYNAMIC MODIFIED ATMOSPHERE PACKAGING SYSTEMS FOR FRESH RED MEATS: REVIEW , 1994 .

[12]  A. C. Seydim,et al.  Effects of packaging atmospheres on shelf-life quality of ground ostrich meat. , 2006, Meat science.

[13]  K. Lee,et al.  Quality changes and shelf life of imported vacuum-packaged beef chuck during storage at 0°C. , 2001, Meat science.

[14]  B. Naveena,et al.  Improvement of shelf-life of buffalo meat using lactic acid, clove oil and vitamin C during retail display. , 2006, Meat science.

[15]  G. Nychas,et al.  Effect of oregano essential oil on microbiological and physico‐chemical attributes of minced meat stored in air and modified atmospheres , 2001, Journal of applied microbiology.

[16]  J. Kerry,et al.  Effects of added tea catechins on colour stability and lipid oxidation in minced beef patties held under aerobic and modified atmospheric packaging conditions , 2006 .

[17]  C. Faustman,et al.  α‐Tocopherol and Ascorbate Delay Oxymyoglobin and Phospholipid Oxidation In Vitro , 1993 .

[18]  Andrew M. Taylor,et al.  Changes in Odour, Colour and Texture during the Storage of Acid Preserved Meat , 1995 .

[19]  Nawal Kishore Dubey,et al.  Exploitation of natural products as an alternative strategy to control postharvest fungal rotting of fruit and vegetables , 2004 .

[20]  T. R. Dutson,et al.  MODIFIED GAS ATMOSPHERES AND CHANGES IN BEEF DURING STORAGE , 1979 .

[21]  A. Baiano,et al.  Use of biodegradable films for fresh cut beef steaks packaging. , 2005, Meat science.

[22]  Milena Sinigaglia,et al.  Use of nisin, lysozyme and EDTA for inhibiting microbial growth in chilled buffalo meat , 2008 .

[23]  A. I. Negueruela,et al.  Beef colour evolution as a function of ultimate pH. , 2001, Meat science.

[24]  M. D. Del Nobile,et al.  A novel approach for calculating shelf life of minimally processed vegetables. , 2006, Journal of food microbiology.

[25]  P. Falcone,et al.  A study on the antimicrobial activity of thymol intended as a natural preservative. , 2005, Journal of food protection.

[26]  F. Rombouts,et al.  Modeling of the Bacterial Growth Curve , 1990, Applied and environmental microbiology.

[27]  Róisín M. Burke,et al.  The effect of oxygen level and exogenous α-tocopherol on the oxidative stability of minced beef in modified atmosphere packs. , 2000, Meat science.