Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
5543281 | Meat Science | 2017 | 31 Pages |
Abstract
Lactic acid (LA) has recently been approved in the EU as beef decontaminant. In order to identify the most appropriate concentration, beef samples were spray-treated with LA (2%, 3%, 4% or 5%) or left untreated (control). Microbial load (aerobic plate counts, psychrotrophs and Enterobacteriaceae), pH, instrumental colour and sensory properties were investigated at 0, 24, 72 and 120Â h of refrigerated storage. The reductions in bacteria after spraying ranged from 0.57 to 0.95 log units. A residual antimicrobial effect was observed so that at 120Â h LA reduced microbial load by up to 2 log units compared with the control samples. Samples treated with 5% LA showed the lowest redness value (a*) and hedonic scores at all sampling times. Only for samples treated with 4% LA did the sensorial shelf-life limit extend beyond 120Â h. It is suggested that treatment of beef with 4% LA not only may improve microbiological quality, but also may enhance sensory properties and shelf-life.
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Authors
Cristina RodrÃguez-Melcón, Carlos Alonso-Calleja, Rosa Capita,