Irradiated vacuum-packed lamb meat stored under refrigeration: microbiology, physicochemical stability and sensory acceptance

R P Fregonesi; R G Portes; A M M Aguiar; L C Figueira; C B Gonçalves; V Arthur; C G Lima; A M Fernandes; M A Trindade

doi:10.1016/j.meatsci.2014.01.026

Irradiated vacuum-packed lamb meat stored under refrigeration: microbiology, physicochemical stability and sensory acceptance

Meat Sci. 2014 Jun;97(2):151-5. doi: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2014.01.026. Epub 2014 Feb 9.

Authors

R P Fregonesi¹, R G Portes², A M M Aguiar², L C Figueira², C B Gonçalves², V Arthur³, C G Lima⁴, A M Fernandes⁵, M A Trindade²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Animal Sciences and Food Engineering, FZEA/USP, Pirassununga, Brazil. Electronic address: raulfregonesi@usp.br.
² Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Animal Sciences and Food Engineering, FZEA/USP, Pirassununga, Brazil.
³ Center of Nuclear Energy in Agriculture, Superior School of Agriculture "Luiz de Queiroz", ESALQ/USP, Piracicaba, Brazil.
⁴ Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Animal Sciences and Food Engineering, FZEA/USP, Pirassununga, Brazil.
⁵ Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Animal Sciences and Food Engineering, FZEA/USP, Pirassununga, Brazil.

PMID: 24583322
DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2014.01.026

Abstract

Reducing spoilage and indicator bacteria is important for microbiological stability in meat and meat products. The objective was to evaluate the effect of different doses of gamma radiation on the shelf-life of lamb meat, vacuum-packed and stored under refrigeration, by assessing the microbiological safety, physicochemical stability and sensory quality. Lamb loin cuts (Longissimus dorsi) were irradiated with 1.5kGy and 3.0kGy. The samples, including control, were stored at 1±1°C during 56days. Samples were analyzed on zero, 14, 28, 42 and 56days by their microbiological and physicochemical characteristics. Sensory quality was carried out on day zero. The results showed a reduction (p<0.05) in the microbial load of the irradiated samples. The acceptance of lamb loins was not affected (p>0.05) by the radiation doses. Thus gamma irradiation at 3.0kGy was effective in reducing the content of microorganisms, without harming the physicochemical characteristics evaluated.

Keywords: Gamma radiation; Lamb loin; Meat color; Sensory evaluation; Shelf life; Spoilage microorganisms.

MeSH terms

Animals
Bacteria / radiation effects*
Colony Count, Microbial
Food Microbiology*
Food Packaging*
Food Preservation*
Food Storage
Gamma Rays*
Humans
Meat / analysis*
Meat / microbiology
Meat / standards
Muscle, Skeletal
Odorants
Refrigeration*
Sheep, Domestic
Taste
Vacuum