Low temperature, long time treatment of porcine M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum in a combi steamer under commercial conditions

As the interest in low temperature, long time (LTLT) treatment of meat, as well as the use of modern combi steamer technology is growing, this study characterized the effects of LTLT treatments on porcine Musculus longissimus thoracis et lumborum in a combi steamer. Upon heating for 10 and 20 h at 53 °C or 58 °C, weight loss increased with both time and temperature, while no significant changes over time could be reached between 20 and 30 h. Redness only varied with temperature, showing lower a* values at 53 °C. Shear force values at 58 °C remained at a stable level over time and were lower than values at 53 °C after 10 and 20 h. In contrast, at 53 °C, shear force was reduced with increasing treatment time, until after 30 h both temperatures showed similar shear force values. Inoculation experiments revealed that already the lowest LTLT condition (53 °C, 10 h) inactivated 5 log10 cfu/g of certain indicator pathogens confirming the safety of these treatments.