An evaluation of the effectiveness of FreshCaseRTM technology to extend the shelf life of beef and pork

This research evaluated the effect of FreshCaseRTM, a novel packaging technology that has been shown to extend the shelf life of whole muscle beef and ground beef, whole muscle pork and ground pork sausages by stabilizing fresh meat color. FreshCaseRTM utilizes a high-barrier nitrite containing film in conjunction with vacuum packaging technology. Storage life was defined by the number of days required to reach an aerobic psychrotrophic plate count of 107 log CFU/g, and all treatmes were stored and evaluated until storage life expired. The storage life for beef steaks stored in FreshCaseRTM packages at 4°C was 36 days; and the shelf life for ground beef stored in FreshCase RTM packages at 4°C was 12 days. The shelf life for pork chops stored in FreshCaseRTM packages at 1°C was 46 days; and the shelf life for ground pork sausages stored in FreshCaseRTM packages at 1°C was 19 days. Values for CIE a* (redness) were greater (P < 0.05) for FreshCaseRTM-packaged samples for both beef steaks and ground beef with the increase of storage time. Both pork chops and sausages stored in FreshCaseRTMpackages retained more acceptable redder color (P < 0.05) than those stored in Control packages throughout storage. By the point at which spoilage was detected, off-odors of putrid, acid, sour and rancidity for FreshCase RTM-packaged samples were detected, but were present at very low level. Likewise, by the point of spoilage, no significant differences ( P > 0.05) were found between samples in control and FreshCase RTM packages in all off-odors detection for both pork chops and sausages and the intensities of these off-odors were very low. Also, beef and pork samples resulted in very low (1.19 mg malonaldehyde/kg and 0.55 mg malonaldehyde/kg, respectively) TBA values throughout storage. Therefore, utilization of FreshCaseRTM Technology in whole muscle beef and ground beef, whole muscle pork and ground pork sausages results in a more stable fresh red meat color with a low level of off-odors, and lipid oxidation. FreshCaseRTM did not influence microbial growth in vacuum packaged samples.