Shelf life of fresh beef vacuum packed at 0° and +4°C

Abstract

The aim of this work was to determine the shelf life of vacuum-packed eat cuts and stored to 0ºC and 4ºC. There were evaluated physicochemical parameters (pH, Drip percentage, rancidity by Kreiss), cut appearance (state of container, color of the cut, fat, smell); and microbiological aspects (Plate counts of aerobic mesophilic bacteria, enterobacteriaceace, Escherichia coli, total coliforms, lactic acid bacteria) in cuts of beef and cattle prod during 5 months.

In the cuts stored at 4ºC, there were observed psychochemical and appearance changes during the third month (pH <5.4, loss of vacuum and existence of sour odor); whereas at 0ºC, there were not perceived changes until the fifth month. On the other hand, there was not observed any meaningful growth neither to E. coli nor to the total coliforms during the study period.

The storage of vacuum-packed cuts and kept at 0ºC contributes to the quality of the product, and keeps its psycho­chemical and sensory features in commercially acceptable conditions during four months, allowing its shipping to away destinations.