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A significant amount of the meat is wasted due to spoilage or safety risks. Active packaging systems have a great potential to reduce waste through chemical and microbial control of the product and/or the storage environment. Although commercial products are already available, active packaging is far from being fully developed. In contrast, passive packaging, such as modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) and vacuum packaging, have been fully implemented. Research conducted at the Danish Meat Research Institute (DMRI), demonstrates that it is possible to create new opportunities for the meat industry by modifying MAP or combining microwave treatment with vacuum packaging. Predictive shelf life models can be used to estimate the shelf life in MAP or vacuum under dynamic temperature conditions. Using the tri-gas guidelines, the industry can benefit from the increased eating quality, and the in-package decontamination process using vacuum packaging in combination with 5.8 GHz microwaves eliminates C. botulinum spores, resulting in increased food safety and an extended shelf life.

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Background: Ascorbate is often applied to enhance stability and robustness of brine-injected pork chops sold for retail, but may affect protein oxidation, while plant extracts are potential substitutes. Methods: Brine-injected pork chops (weight-gain ~12%, NaCl ~0.9%) prepared with ascorbate (225 ppm), green tea extract (25 ppm gallic acid equivalents (GAE)), or maté extract (25 ppm GAE) stored (5 °C, seven days) in high-oxygen atmosphere packaging (MAP: 80% O2 and 20% CO2) were analyzed for color changes, sensory quality, and protein oxidation compared to a control without antioxidant. Results: No significant differences were observed for green tea and maté extracts as compared to ascorbate when evaluated based on lipid oxidation derived off-flavors, except for stale flavor, which maté significantly reduced. All treatments increased the level of the protein oxidation product, α-aminoadipic semialdehyde as compared to the control, and ascorbate was further found to increase thiol loss and protein cross-linking, with a concomitant decrease in the sensory perceived tenderness. Conclusions: Green tea and maté were found to equally protect against lipid oxidation derived off-flavors, and maté showed less prooxidative activity towards proteins as compared to ascorbate, resulting in more tender meat. Maté is a valuable substitute for ascorbate in brine-injected pork chops.

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Background: Phenolic plant extracts are added as antioxidants in meat to prevent lipid oxidation, but depending on the concentration applied, may affect proteins either through covalent interactions or by serving as a prooxidant. Methods: Brine-injected pork chops prepared with green tea extract (25-160 ppm gallic acid equivalents (GAE)), or maté extract (25-160 ppm GAE) and stored (5 °C, 7 days) in high-oxygen atmosphere packaging (MAP: 80% O2 and 20% CO2) were analyzed for color changes, lipid oxidation by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and protein oxidation evaluated by thiol loss and protein radical formation by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy, and compared to a control without antioxidant. Results: Extract of maté and green tea showed significant and comparable antioxidative effects against formation of TBARS in brine-injected pork chops for all concentrations applied compared to the control. Protein radical formation decreased significantly by addition of 25 ppm maté extract, but increased significantly by addition of 80-160 ppm green tea extract, when monitored as formation of protein radicals. Meanwhile, protein thiol groups disappeared when applying the extracts by reactions assigned to addition reactions of oxidized phenols from the extracts to protein thiols. Conclusion: Maté is accordingly a good source of antioxidants for protection of both lipids and proteins in brine-injected pork chops chill-stored in high-oxygen atmosphere, though the dose must be carefully selected.

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The storage conditions of fresh meat are known to impact its colour and microbial shelf life. In the present study, visible spectroscopy was evaluated as a method to assess meat storage conditions and its optimisation. Fresh pork steaks (longissimus thoracis et lumborum and semimembranosus) were placed in modified atmosphere packaging using gas mixtures containing 0, 40, 50, and 80% oxygen, and stored with or without light for up to 9days. Principal component analysis of visible reflectance spectra (400-700nm) showed that the colour of the different meat cuts was affected by presence of oxygen, illumination, and storage time. Differences in the oxygen levels did not contribute to the observed variance. Predictive models based on partial least squares regression-discriminant analysis exhibited high potency in the classification of the storage parameters of meat cuts packaged in modified atmosphere. The study demonstrates the applicability of visible spectroscopy as a tool to assess the storage conditions of meat cuts packaged in modified atmosphere.

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The characteristics and the oxidative stability of pork steaks and of pork mince were investigated during 2, 5 and 7days of refrigerated storage using oxygen (O2) levels of 0%, 20%, 50% and 80% in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP). Steaks stored during 7days were not affected by an increase in O2 concentration, as revealed by lipid and protein oxidation markers. In contrast, the mince was characterised by an altered protein profile, loss of free thiol groups and increased protein oxidation, early during storage. The oxidative stability of pork mince was improved by using intermediate (50%) O2 MAP. The results show that fresh pork products are affected differently by the MAP O2 concentration and strongly indicate that optimisation of MAP based on the retail product type would be of considerable benefit to their oxidative stability.

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Bologna type sausages were prepared from oxidatively stressed pork (UV-irradiation, 48 h, 5 °C) using a traditional recipe (control) or the same recipe but added green tea extract (500 ppm total phenolic compounds) or rosemary extract (400 ppm total phenolic compounds). Green tea and rosemary extracts protected against formation of TBARS and protein carbonyls. On the contrary, increased thiol loss and a distinct loss of myosin heavy chain and actin due to polymerization by reducible bonds as determined by SDS-page were found by addition of green tea extract. The enhanced protein polymerization was ascribed to the reaction between quinone compounds from the plant extracts and protein thiol groups to yield phenol-mediated protein polymerization. Analysis by ESR spectroscopy revealed increased radical intensities in sausages added plant extracts, which was ascribed to originate from protein-bound phenoxyl radicals, which may protect against other oxidatively induced protein modifications.

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The present study evaluated the sensory characteristics of low temperature long time (LTLT) treated Semitendinosus from pork and beef and Pectoralis profundus from chicken. Semitendinosus and Pectoralis profundus muscles were heat treated at 53 °C and 58 °C for T(c) + 6 h, T(c) + 17 h, and T(c) + 30 h (only Semitendinosus from pork and beef). T(c) was the time for the samples to equalize with the temperature in the water bath. Tenderness increased with increasing heating temperature and time in pork and beef, but not in chicken. Juiciness decreased with increasing heating temperature and time in all species, and cooking loss increased with increasing temperature. A done appearance was developed with increasing heating time at 58 °C in pork and beef, while in chicken the done appearance was only affected by temperature. Flavor attributes were less affected by the LTLT treatment for all species.

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The oxidative stability of beef patties added 500ppm white grape extract (WGE), packed in four different modified atmospheres (MAP) with varying oxygen and carbon dioxide levels (70% or 0% O2, 30% or 0% CO2, balanced with N2 in all four combinations) and stored for up to 9days (4°C) was evaluated by a sensory panel, formation of TBARS, formation of protein carbonyl, appearance of myosin cross-links, and thiol loss. Formation of secondary lipid oxidation products, as detected by TBARS, and the rancidity, as perceived by sensory analysis, were inhibited in WGE beef patties independent of MAP compared to control beef patties. The protein carbonyl formation was also reduced in WGE beef patties, but no significant effects were observed in relation to different MAP. Loss of thiol groups in control beef patties was consistent with the formation of myosin cross-linkages. In the presence of WGE, thiol groups decreased faster but showed less myosin cross-link formation compared to control beef patties, indicating that WGE interacts with the thiol groups of the myofibrillar proteins, and thus reduces the cross-link formation in beef patties stored in high-oxygen MA.

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Inosine monophosphate (IMP) and its degradation products, ribose and hypoxanthine, are all considered to be important constituents in meat flavor formation and development. The present study explored the fate of IMP during the aging of two qualities of pork (pH >5.7 and 5.5 < pH < 5.6) and the potential relationship between IMP, hypoxanthine, and sensory attributes of pork registered both as retronasal and basic taste responses in whole meat, meat juice, and the remaining meat residue. During aging the concentration of IMP decreased with a simultaneous increase in the concentrations of inosine, hypoxanthine, and ribose. The rates at which IMP was degraded to inosine and inosine to hypoxanthine during aging were found to be in agreement with the known rate constants of the dephosphorylation of IMP and the hydrolysis of inosine, respectively. Moreover, high-pH pork resulted in a significantly higher concentration of hypoxanthine throughout storage compared with low-pH pork due to an initially higher concentration of IMP in high-pH meat. The sensory analysis showed increasing intensity in bitterness and saltiness of pork as a function of aging, with the intensity being most pronounced in the meat juice. The increasing bitterness of the pork as a function of aging coincided with the higher content of hypoxanthine in these samples, thereby suggesting that degradation of IMP to hypoxanthine might influence pork flavor. In contrast, IMP was associated with nonaged meat and the sensory attributes meaty and brothy.

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