Effect of sex and sub-zero storage temperature on the microbial and oxidative stability of beef packed in a high-oxygen atmosphere after different vacuum ageing times

Pedro Henrique Imazaki; Mahmoud Elansary; Marie-Louise Scippo; Georges Daube; Antoine Clinquart

doi:10.1016/j.meatsci.2018.09.005

Effect of sex and sub-zero storage temperature on the microbial and oxidative stability of beef packed in a high-oxygen atmosphere after different vacuum ageing times

Meat Sci. 2019 Feb:148:198-205. doi: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2018.09.005. Epub 2018 Oct 12.

Authors

Pedro Henrique Imazaki¹, Mahmoud Elansary², Marie-Louise Scippo³, Georges Daube⁴, Antoine Clinquart⁵

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Food Technology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine & Fundamental and Applied Research for Animal and Health (FARAH), University of Liège, Avenue de Cureghem 10, Liège 4000, Belgium. Electronic address: PH.Imazaki@uliege.be.
² Unit of Animal Genomics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine & Interdisciplinary Cluster for Applied Genoproteomics (GIGA-R), University of Liège, Avenue de l'Hôpital 1, Liège 4000, Belgium.
³ Laboratory of Food Analysis, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine & Fundamental and Applied Research for Animal and Health (FARAH), University of Liège, Avenue de Cureghem 10, Liège 4000, Belgium.
⁴ Laboratory of Food Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine & Fundamental and Applied Research for Animal and Health (FARAH), University of Liège, Avenue de Cureghem 10, Liège 4000, Belgium.
⁵ Laboratory of Food Technology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine & Fundamental and Applied Research for Animal and Health (FARAH), University of Liège, Avenue de Cureghem 10, Liège 4000, Belgium.

PMID: 30322686
DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2018.09.005

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of sex and sub-zero storage temperature on the microbial and oxidative stability of Belgian Blue beef packed in a high-oxygen atmosphere after different ageing times. Longissimus thoracis et lumborum from Belgian Blue young bulls and cull cows were aged at -1 or 4 °C for 80 days in vacuum. Every 20 days, samples were repackaged in a high-oxygen atmosphere (70/30% O₂/CO₂) and stored for 7 days (2 days at 4 °C + 5 days at 8 °C). Ageing at -1 °C had a protective effect against the growth of lactic acid bacteria and Enterobacteriaceae and myoglobin oxidation. Brochothrix thermosphacta was the limiting parameter for ageing longer than 20 days at -1 °C, permitting a subsequent 7-day shelf-life in a high-oxygen atmosphere. Meat from young bulls was more sensitive to oxidation than meat from cull cows. Extending Belgian Blue meat ageing for >20 days had a negative impact on retail shelf-life.

Keywords: Belgian Blue; Color; Lipid; Microbiological quality; Oxidation; Spoilage.

MeSH terms

Animals
Atmosphere
Bacteria / growth & development
Brochothrix / growth & development
Cattle
Cold Temperature
Female
Food Handling / methods*
Food Microbiology*
Food Packaging / methods
Food Preservation / methods
Male
Myoglobin / chemistry
Oxidation-Reduction
Oxygen / chemistry*
Red Meat / analysis*
Red Meat / microbiology
Vacuum

Substances

Myoglobin
Oxygen