Surface Color Variations of Ground Beef Packaged Using Enhanced, Recycle Ready, or Standard Barrier Vacuum Films

With current meat industry efforts focused on improving environmental influencers, adopting sustainable packaging materials may be an easier transition to addressing the sustainability demands of the meat consumer. With the growing popularity of vacuum-packaged meat products, the current study evaluated instrumental surface color on fresh ground beef using vacuum packaging films, recycle-ready film (RRF), standard barrier (STB) and enhanced barrier (ENB). Ground beef packaged using ENB barrier film was lighter (L*), redder (a*) and more vivid (chroma) than all other packaging treatments during the simulated display period (p < 0.05). By day 12 of the simulated retail display, the ground beef surface color became lighter (L*), more yellow (b*), less red (a*), less vivid (chroma) and contained greater forms of calculated metmyoglobin, oxymyoglobin (p < 0.05). The current results suggest that barrier properties of vacuum packaging film for ground beef are pivotal for extending the surface color during fresh shelf-life conditions

Vacuum Packaging Can Extend Fresh Color Characteristics of Beef Steaks during Simulated Display Conditions

Packaging technology is evolving, and the objectives of this study were to evaluate instrumental surface color, expert color evaluation, and lipid oxidation (TBARS) on beef longissimus lumborum steaks packaged in vacuum-ready packaging (VRF) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) overwrap packaging. Paired strip loins (Institutional Meat Purchasing Specifications # 180) were cut into 2.54-cm-thick steaks and assigned randomly to one of two packaging treatments, VRF or PVC. Steaks packaged in VRF were lighter in color (p p p p p p p < 0.05) for PVC steaks from day 10 through day 35 of the display. Results from this study suggest that the use of vacuum packaging for beef steaks is plausible for maintaining surface color characteristics during extended display periods

Vacuum Packaging Maintains Fresh Characteristics of Previously Frozen Beef Steaks during Simulated Retail Display

The impact of frozen storage on beef steaks prior to the retail setting may result in changes to the quality and safety of the packaged meat. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to evaluate fresh characteristics on previously frozen steaks during a simulated retail display. Steaks were allocated to one of three packaging treatments (MB, MDF, MFS) and stored frozen (−13 °C) for 25 days in the absence of light. After thawing, steaks were stored in a lighted retail case at 3 °C and evaluated for instrumental surface color, pH, purge loss, lipid oxidation, and microbial spoilage organisms throughout the 25-day fresh display period. There was an increase (p p p < 0.05) throughout the entire display for steaks packaged in MFS and MDF. It is evident that barrier properties of MB limiting oxygen exposure of the steak preserved fresh meat characteristics after frozen storage. Results from the current study suggest that vacuum packaging films can aid in retarding detrimental effects caused by frozen storage after placing the steaks in fresh retail conditions

Shelf-Life Evaluation of Ingredient Combinations and Technologies for Use in Pet Food Formulations

Poultry co-product chicken frames (CF) and wooden breast (WB) along with ingredient technology use may bring enhanced value to the pet food industry. Therefore, the current study focused on evaluating CF and WB combinations along with sodium alginate and encapsulated calcium lactate pentahydrate (ALGIN) inclusion within a fresh pet food formulation under simulated shelf-life conditions. Fresh chicken frames (CF) and boneless-skinless wooden breast (WB) were ground and allocated randomly to one of ten treatment combinations with either 0.5 or 1.0% added ALGIN. Ground treatments were placed into a form and fill vacuum package and stored using a reach-in refrigerated case for 21 days. Packages were evaluated for instrumental surface color, lipid oxidation, water activity, and pH on days 1, 3, 7, 14 and 21 of the display. Packages of pet food were lighter, less red, and more yellow (p &lt; 0.05) with increasing percentages of CF regardless of ALGIN inclusion, whereas pH was greater (p &lt; 0.05) and lipid oxidation was less (p &lt; 0.05) with increasing percentage of WB. Water activity increased (p &lt; 0.05) when WB and ALGIN inclusion increased. The current results suggest that the use of ALGIN in a poultry co-product pet food formulation can improve shelf-life characteristics such as surface color and lipid oxidation in fresh pet food