Spoilage of value-added, high-oxygen modified-atmosphere packaged raw beef steaks by Leuconostoc gasicomitatum and Leuconostoc gelidum

Moisture-enhancing and marinating of meats are commonly used by the meat industry to add value to raw, retail products. Recently in Finland, certain value-added beef steak products have proven to be unusually susceptible to microbial spoilage leading to untoward quality deteriorations during producer-defined shelf-life. This study was conducted to evaluate the role of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in the premature spoilage of value-added beef packaged under high-oxygen modified atmospheres. Spoilage was characterised by green discolouration and a buttery off-odour. The predominant LAB in eight packages of spoiled, marinated or moisture-enhanced beef steaks were identified by reference to a 16 and 23S rRNA gene restriction fragment length polymorphism pattern (ribotype) database. Leuconostoc gasicomitatum, Leuconostoc gelidum, Lactobacillus algidus, Lactobacillus sakei and Carnobacterium divergens were found to predominate in the LAB populations at numbers above 10(8) CFU/g. Inoculation of moisture-enhanced steaks with LAB strains and strain mixtures originating from the spoiled products demonstrated the spoilage potential of L. gasicomitatum and L. gelidum isolates. These two species produced green surface discolouration and buttery off-odours similar to these found in the spoiled, commercial products.     

Microbiological ecology of marinated meat products

Marinated meat products are consumed increasingly. In addition to taste, marinating has been considered to increase product safety and shelf life. In Finland, marinades are complex, spiced sauces. They are acidic water-oil emulsions typically containing salt, sugar, sorbate and/or benzoate. Marinated products are usually packaged under modified atmospheres. This results in the growth of psychrotrophic, anaerobic bacteria like lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Marinating did not increase the shelf life of Finnish poultry products and it strongly selected novel spoilage LAB. Surprisingly, it neither had inhibitory effect on Campylobacter. The buffering capability of meat neutralizes the acidic marinade and results in dissociation of the lipophilic acids making their antimicrobial effect nonexistent.     

Predominant enterobacteria on modified-atmosphere packaged meat and poultry

Enterobacteria on modified-atmosphere (MA) packaged meat (n = 54) and poultry (n = 32) products were enumerated, and 899 isolates were picked and ribotyped. For identification, 16S rRNA genes of representative strains were sequenced and analyzed. Altogether 54 (60%) of the samples contained enterobacteria >10⁴ CFU/g. In 34% of the poultry samples, enterobacteria counts were >10⁶ CFU/g suggesting that enterobacteria may contribute to spoilage of MA packaged poultry. The enterobacteria identified were predominantly Hafnia spp. (40%) and Serratia spp. (42%) with Hafnia alvei, Hafnia paralvei, Serratia fonticola, Serratia grimesii, Serratia liquefaciens, Serratia proteamaculans, and Serratia quinivorans being the species identified. In addition, 6% of the isolates were identified as Rahnella spp., 3% as Yersinia spp., and 1% as Buttiauxella spp. Percentage distributions of the predominant genera in different products showed that 89% of the Serratia spp. were from products packaged under a high-O₂ MA containing CO₂ (25–35%), whereas most (76%) isolates of Hafnia originated from anaerobically packaged red meat and poultry. These findings suggest that the gas mixture used for MA packaging influence the selection of enterobacteria growing on meat and poultry.     

Comparison of microbial communities in marinated and unmarinated broiler meat by metagenomics

Most raw poultry sold in Finland at the retail level is mixed with marinades containing oil, sugar, spices and acetic acid and packaged under modified atmosphere. Premature spoilage of marinated poultry preparations has been observed and associated with high levels of Leuconostoc spp. in meat. In this study we investigated whether marination of broiler fillet strips increased the proportion of Leuconostoc spp. in the microbial communities. To obtain a comprehensive view of the microbiota, we sequenced total DNA and 16S rRNA gene amplicons from the microbial communities. The lactic acid bacterial communities were characterized also by identification of colonies. The results showed that marinade increased the proportions of the spoilage-associated Leuconostoc gasicomitatum in the communities as well as the proportions of Leuconostoc gelidum and Lactobacillus spp. The proportions of Carnobacterium, Vagococcus, Brochothrix thrermosphacta, Clostridium, Enterobacteriaceae and Vibrio were diminished in marinated meat. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene amplicons resulted in 312 and 284 operational taxonomical units (dissimilarity 0.03) in unmarinated and marinated meat, respectively, indicating that the meat communities were more diverse than hitherto shown. Metagenomic analysis revealed a number of bacterial taxa that have not been associated with late shelf-life meat before, including Vagococcus and Vibrio that belonged to the predominating part of the microbial community in unmarinated meat. According to the functional analysis of the metagenomes, the communities in both marinated and unmarinated poultry were characterized by high proportions (15.6% or 17.9%) of genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism.     

Streptococcus parauberis associated with modified atmosphere packaged broiler meat products and air samples from a poultry meat processing plant

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from marinated or non-marinated, modified atmosphere packaged (MAP) broiler leg products and air samples of a large-scale broiler meat processing plant were identified and analyzed for their phenotypic properties. Previously, these strains had been found to be coccal LAB. However, the use of a 16 and 23S rRNA gene RFLP database had not resulted in species identification because none of the typically meat-associated LAB type strains had clustered together with these strains in the numerical analysis of the RFLP patterns. To establish the taxonomic position of these isolates, 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, numerical analysis of ribopatterns, and DNA-DNA hybridization experiments were done. The 16S rRNA gene sequences of three isolates possessed the highest similarities (over 99%) with the sequence of S. parauberis type strain. However, in the numerical analysis of HindIII ribopatterns, the type strain did not cluster together with these isolates. Reassociation values between S. parauberis type or reference strain and the strains studied varied from 82 to 97%, confirming that these strains belong to S. parauberis. Unexpectedly, most of the broiler meat-originating strains studied for their phenotypical properties did not utilize lactose at all and the same strains fermented also galactose very weakly, properties considered atypical for S. parauberis. This is, to our knowledge, the first report of lactose negative S. parauberis strains and also the first report associating S. parauberis with broiler slaughter and meat products.     

Isolation and characterization of Carnobacterium, Lactococcus, and Enterococcus spp. from cooked, modified atmosphere packaged, refrigerated, poultry meat

The microbiota of commercially produced, cooked and modified atmosphere packaged poultry meat was followed during storage at 3.5 degrees C for up to 7 weeks. The dominant microbiota consisted of Lactococcus raffinolactis (117 isolates), Carnobacterium divergens (61 isolates), Carnobacterium piscicola (11 isolates), Lactococcus garvieae (four isolates), Lactococcus lactis (one isolate) and Enterococcus faecalis (three isolates). All isolates were screened for production of bacteriocins. Only C. piscicola isolates produced an inhibitory substance active against other lactic acid bacteria and against several Listeria spp. Species-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers were used for the differentiation of Carnobacterium, L. raffinolactis, L. lactis, and L. garvieae strains associated with the modified atmosphere packaged poultry products. No false PCR products were observed with other closely related bacterial species.     

Characterization and evaluation of the spoilage potential of Lactococcus piscium isolates from modified atmosphere packaged meat

A total of 222 psychrotrophic lactococci isolated from use-by day, modified atmosphere packaged (MAP) meat were identified to the species level by numerical analyses of EcoRI and ClaI ribopatterns and phylogenetic sequence analyses of 16S, rpoA and pheS genes. In addition, their meat spoilage potential was studied. The majority of the isolates (n=215) were identified as Lactococcus piscium, while seven isolates belonged to Lactococcus raffinolactis. L. piscium was shown to be adapted to growing in a variety of MAP meat products including broiler, turkey, pork, and minced meat from beef and pork, where they belonged to the predominating microbiota at the end of the storage. Numerical analyses of EcoRI and ClaI ribopatterns, and phylogenetic sequence analyses of rpoA and pheS genes were shown to be reliable tools in species level identification of meat lactococci. The spoilage potential of L. piscium was evaluated by inoculating representative isolates to MAP pork stored at 6 °C for 22 days. Development of spoilage population was monitored using a culture-independent T-RFLP approach. The sensory shelf life of pork inoculated with L. piscium was shortened compared to the uninoculated control. Alongside with the inoculated L. piscium isolates, Leuconostoc spp. present as initial contaminants in the samples thrived. This shows that even though lactococci were inoculated at higher levels compared to the natural microbiota, they did not occupy the niche and prevent the growth of other lactic acid bacteria.     

包装冷却肉中微生物腐败及其挥发性气味的研究进展

肉的腐败气味一直是消费者评判肉品新鲜度的重要指标.不同包装冷却肉中的微生物群落和代谢途径不同,导致肉品贮藏期间释放出不同的挥发性气味物质,这直接决定了肉的腐败气味和腐败程度;因此,进行包装肉挥发性物质的定性、定量分析对认知肉品腐败进程具有重要意义.本文通过综述冷却牛肉、猪肉、羊肉及禽肉在托盘包装、真空包装、气调包装中的...     

Characterization and identification of lactic acid bacteria in "morcilla de Burgos"

A total of 176 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from a typical Spanish blood sausage called "morcilla de Burgos" were identified by means of phenotypic characteristics and 16S rDNA RFLP (ribotyping). LAB were isolated from "morcilla" of different producers and in different storage periods, which includes unpackaged, vacuum and modified atmosphere packaged "morcilla" and vacuum packed and pasteurised "morcilla". The knowledge of specific spoilage bacteria of "morcilla de Burgos" will be useful to design new preservation methods to extend the shelf-life of this product. Identification made according to phenotypic and biochemical characteristics shows the majority of the isolates were heterofermentative LAB (93.2%) and eight different bacterial groups could be distinguished (A-G). Weisella viridescens was the main species detected (42%). In addition, Leuconostoc spp. (23.9%), Weissella confusa (11.4%) and Lactobacillus fructosus (5.7%) species were found. Few strains were phenotypically misidentified as Lactobacillus sanfrancisco, Pediococcus spp., Lactobacillus sakei/curvatus and Carnobacterium spp. and 11 strains remained unknown. Most of the leuconostocs were identified as Leuconostoc mesenteroides and Leuconostoc carnosum species. Ribotyping shows a quite good correlation with phenotypic methods, although it has been possible to identify 15 different clusters. W. viridescens and leuconostocs were also the predominant LAB. Strains identified as W. confusa by phenotypic characteristics were resolved in W. confusa and Weissella cibaria by ribotyping. Neither Carnobacterium piscicola nor Lb. sanfrancisco were identified by means of genotypic method. All Lb. fructosus strains and some more included in different phenotypic groups (17 strains in total) could not be associated with any reference strain (cluster VII).     

Diversity of lactic acid bacteria from modified atmosphere packaged sliced cooked meat products at sell-by date assessed by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis

The predominant lactic acid bacteria (LAB) microbiota associated with three types of modified atmosphere packaged (MAP) sliced cooked meat products (i.e. ham, turkey and chicken) was analyzed at sell-by date using a combination of culturing and molecular population fingerprinting. Likewise routine analyses during industrial MAP production, meat samples were plated on the general heterotrophic Plate Count Agar (PCA) and on the LAB-specific de Man, Rogosa, Sharpe (MRS) agar under different temperature and atmosphere conditions. Subsequently, community DNA extracts were prepared from culturable bacterial fractions harvested from both media and used for PCR targeting the V3 hyper-variable region of the 16S rRNA gene followed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of PCR amplicons (PCR-DGGE). Irrespective of aerobic or anaerobic incubation conditions, V3-16S rDNA DGGE fingerprints of culturable fractions from PCA and MRS medium displayed a high level of similarity indicating that LAB constituted the most dominant group in the culturable bacterial community. Comparison of DGGE profiles of fractions grown at 20, 28 or 37 °C indicated that part of the culturable community consisted of psychrotrophs. Four DGGE bands were common among cooked ham, turkey and chicken products, suggesting that these represent the microbiota circulating in the plant where all three MAP product types were sliced and packaged. Based on band sequencing and band position analysis using LAB reference strains, these four bands could be assigned to Lactobacillus sakei and/or the closely related Lactobacillus fuchuensis, Lactobacillus curvatus, Carnobacterium divergens and Leuconostoc carnosum. In conclusion, the PCR-DGGE approach described in this study allows to discriminate, identify and monitor core and occasional LAB microbiota of MAP sliced cooked meat products and provides valuable complementary information to the current plating procedures routinely used in industrial plants.     

Leuconostoc gasicomitatum is the dominating lactic acid bacterium in retail modified-atmosphere-packaged marinated broiler meat strips on sell-by-day

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in retail, modified-atmosphere-packaged (MAP), marinated broiler meat strips on sell-by-day were mainly identified as Leuconostoc gasicomitatum. A total of 32 packages, three to five packages of seven differently marinated broiler meat products, were studied at the end of the producer-defined shelf life (at 6 degrees C, 7-9 days depending on the manufacturer). Prior to the microbiological analyses, appearance and smell of the product was checked and pH measured. Bacteria were cultured on MRS and Tomato Juice Agar (TJA), Rogosa SL agar (SLA), Plate Count Agar (PCA) and Streptomycin Thallium Acetate Agar (STAA) for the enumeration of LAB, lactobacilli, total bacterial count and Brochothrix thermosphacta, respectively. The average CFU/g of the 32 packages was 2.3 x 10(8) on PCA. The highest bacterial average, 3.1 x 10(8), was recovered on TJA, the corresponding CFU/g averages on MRS and SLA being 2.3 x 10(8) and 1.3 x 10(8), respectively. Despite the high LAB numbers detected, radical spoilage changes such as unpleasant odor, slime production and formation of gas were not seen. B. thermosphacta did not form a significant part of the bacterial population since none of the levels exceeded the spoilage threshold level of 10(5) CFU/g reported in previous studies for this organism. In order to characterize the dominating LAB population, as many as 85, 85 and 88 colonies from MRS, TJA and SLA, respectively, were randomly picked and cultured pure. LAB were identified to species level using a 16 and 23S rDNA HindIiI RFLP (ribotyping) database. Fifty-six of the 170 isolates picked from the non-selective LAB media (MRS and TJA) were identified as L. gasicomitatum, followed by Carnobacterium divergens (41 isolates), Lactobacillus sakei and Lactobacillus curvatus subsp. melibiosus (31 isolates) and L. curvatus subsp. curvatus (20 isolates) species. SLA proved not to be completely selective for lactobacilli because the growth of Leuconostoc spp. was not inhibited, Carnobacterium spp. were the only species not detected on SLA.     

Rep-PCR characterization and biochemical selection of lactic acid bacteria isolated from the Delta area of Egypt

Samples of raw milk and traditional dairy products were collected from different rural areas in the Delta region. 170 isolates from these products were identified using repetitive genomic element-PCR (Rep-PCR) fingerprinting. The identified isolates were tested for efficiency of biomass production and separation, acidifying activity, autolytic and aminopeptidase properties, antagonistic activities and exopolysaccharide production. The obtained results revealed that the Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis, Lactobacillus fermentum, Enterococcus faecium Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei, Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis were the predominant species in Egyptian dairy products. Two percent of Lactococcus, 10% of Lactobacillus and 1% of Enterococcus isolates showed fast acidifying activity. Aminopeptidase and autolytic properties were generally higher for most Lactobacillus strains when compared to other strains. Among these species, lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei was the highest in Aminopeptidase activity and autolytic properties. Antagonistic activity was detected in 40% of Lactococcus, 70% of Lactobacillus and 50% of Enterococcus isolates. Some isolates produced exopolysaccharides in milk and dairy products.     

Leuconostoc gelidum and Leuconostoc gasicomitatum strains dominated the lactic acid bacterium population associated with strong slime formation in an acetic-acid herring preserve

Spoilage characterised by strong slime and gas formation affected some manufacture lots of an acetic-acid Baltic herring (Culpea haerengus membras) preserve after few weeks of storage at 0-6 degrees C. The product consisted of herring filets in acetic acid marinade containing sugar, salt, allspice and carrot slices. Microbiological analyses of the spoiled product showed high lactic acid bacterium (LAB) levels ranging from 4.5x10(8) to 2.4x10(9) CFU/g. Yeasts were not detected in any of the herring samples. Since LAB contaminants are seldom associated with fresh fish, LAB populations associated with marinade ingredients (carrots, allspice) were also analyzed. The highest LAB levels exceeding 10(7) CFU/g were detected in equilibrium modified atmosphere packaged baby carrots whereas the levels detected in the allspice samples did not exceed 4.3x10(5). A total of 176 randomly selected LAB isolates originating from herring, carrot and allspice samples were further identified to species level using a 16 and 23S rRNA gene RFLP (ribotyping) database. Leuconostoc gelidum and Leuconostoc gasicomitatum strains dominated both in the spoiled herring and carrot samples. These species are heterofermentative-producing CO(2) from glucose and they also produce dextran from sucrose. Inoculation of some commercial-herring products with spoilage-associated L. gelidum and L. gasicomitatum strains verified that these strains have the capability of producing slime and gas in herring preserves although slime formation was not as strong as in the original samples. Since L. gelidum and L. gasicomitatum strains were commonly detected in carrots, carrot slices used for the fish marinade were considered to be the probable source of these specific spoilage organisms.     

Identification of lactic acid bacteria in traditional fermented yak milk and evaluation of their application in fermented milk products

In this study, 53 strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from Xueo, a traditional fermented yak milk in the western Sichuan Plateau of China, were identified and their use in fermented milk was evaluated. All gram-positive and catalase-negative strains were divided into 6 groups at the level of 87% similarity using amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis. These groups were identified as 6 species using 16S rDNA sequence analysis and atpA gene analysis. The dominant LAB strains in Xueo were Enterococcus durans, Lactobacillus fermentum, and Lactobacillus paracasei, accounting for 45.3, 22.6, and 17.0% of isolates, respectively. Milk fermented with most of the representative strains was high in quality, exhibiting relatively high viscosity, moderate acidity, good sensory quality, and high counts of viable LAB. Fermented milk of E. durans SCA16 and L. fermentum SCA52 achieved the highest scores for overall sensory quality. Most strains displayed antimicrobial activity against at least 1 of 9 spoilage microorganisms. Lactic acid was the main factor inhibiting the growth of spoilage bacteria, and H(2)O(2) was also inhibitory to some extent. Excluding the influence of acid and H(2)O(2), strains SCA52 (L. fermentum) and SCA7 (Lactobacillus plantarum) were antagonistic against some of the indicators, suggesting that the 2 strains may produce a bacteriocin-like substance. Therefore, the development of superior strains isolated from Xueo to ferment milk with similar flavor and texture to Xueo is expected.     

Behaviour of Brochothrix thermosphacta in presence of other meat spoilage microbial groups

The microbial flora of fresh meat stored aerobically at 5 degrees C up to spoilage was enumerated and collected in order to have mixed spoilage bacterial groups to be used in competition tests against Brochothrix thermosphacta. The bacterial groups collected as bulk colonies were identified by PCR-DGGE followed by partial 16S rDNA sequencing. The predominant bacteria associated with the spoilage of the refrigerated beef were B. thermosphacta, Pseudomonas spp, Enterobacteriaceae and lactic acid bacteria (LAB). The interactions between B. thermosphacta and the other spoilage microbial groups were studied in vitro at 5 degrees C. The results showed that a decrease of the growth of B. thermosphacta was evidenced in presence of LAB at 5 degrees C while the bacterium is the dominant organism when inoculated with mixtures of Pseudomonas spp., LAB and Enterobacteriaceae. A better understanding of bacterial meat spoilage interactions may lead to improved quality of fresh meat stored in refrigerated conditions.     

Lactic Microflora Present in Liqvan Ewes' Milk Cheese

This study aimed to isolate and characterize Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) in Liqvan Ewes' milk cheese. A total of 117 Lactic Acid Bacteria were isolated and identified phenotypically. They belonged to 4 genera and 17 species. The dominant LAB found in Liqvan cheese were from the genus Lactobacillus (75.21%) consisted of 70.08% facultatively heterofermentative and 5.12% obligately heterofermentative lactobacillus species. Other isolates were classified as Pediococci (5.12%), Enterococci (5.98%), and Leuconostocs (13.67%). Lb. paracasei subsp. paracasei was the predominant species accounted for 36.75%. Likewise, predominant species of each genus were Lb. paracasei subsp. paracasei, P. pentosaceus, E. faecalis, and Leu. lactis. The preponderance of isolates (86.32%) was referred to be as members of Non Starter Lactic Acid Bacteria (NSLAB).     

Developing microbial spoilage population in vacuum-packaged charcoal-broiled European river lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis)

Microbiological and sensory changes in vacuum-packaged charcoal-broiled river lampreys from three lamprey processing plants were monitored as a function of time at 8 degrees C. The lampreys were examined every 7 days up to 8 weeks for aerobic plate count (APC) and lactic acid bacteria (LAB). The highest mean APC and LAB were 6.01 log CFU/g and 4.86 log CFU/g, respectively. Only 6 out of 15 lots reached an APC value of 7.0 log CFU/g during storage. The sensory scores remained at the baseline levels after 8 weeks' storage. Twenty-seven isolates were randomly picked from MRS agar and identified to species level using a 16S and 23S rDNA HindIII RFLP (ribotyping) database and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene if no database match was obtained. Twelve of the 27 isolates were identified as Lactobacillus curvatus subsp. curvatus, and two Leuconostoc mesenteroides and one Weissella halotolerans strain were also detected. Twelve isolates were not identified by the LAB database. However, they possessed very high (99.9%) 16S gene sequence similarity with either Staphylococcus warneri or Staphylococcus pasteuri type strains. The LAB detected, with the exception of W. halotolerans, have commonly been associated with spoilage of fishery products, but in these vacuum-packaged lampreys, they were not the dominant organisms within the developing spoilage population.     

Study of the microbial ecology of wild and aquacultured Tunisian fresh fish

Eighty samples of fresh fish were collected in Tunisia and analyzed for microbial load. Quality and hygienic safety of the meat and intestines of wild and aquacultured fresh fish were determined. The mesophilic aerobic plate count and populations of psychrotrophic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and other psychrotrophic bacteria ranged from 5.67 to 7.29, 4.51 to 6, and 5.07 to 6.21 log CFU/g, respectively. For all microbiological determinations, bacterial counts were lower in meat than in the intestines of fresh fish. For all samples lower microbial populations were found in most of the wild fish than in the aquacultured fish. No isolates of the pathogenic genera Salmonella and Listeria were detected in any sample. Among the 160 strains of biopreservative psychrotrophic LAB and the 150 strains of spoilage psychrotrophic gram-negative bacteria identified by biochemical and molecular methods, Lactobacillus (six species) and Pseudomonas (six species) predominated. Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Carnobacterium (C. piscicola and C. divergens), Aeromonas, and Photobacterium were the most common genera, and Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus plantarum, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Aeromonas hydrophila were the most common species. These findings indicate that the microbiological quality of fresh fish in Tunisia can be preserved by controlling pathogenic and psychrotrophic bacteria.     

Identification of lactic acid bacteria involved in the spoilage of pasteurized “foie gras” products

The spoiling microflora of a re-packaged French “foie gras” product was studied. A total of 54 isolates, originating from two different factories, were identified using phenotypical and molecular methods (partial 16S rDNA sequencing). Weissella viridescens was the main species detected in the products from factory 1 (64% of the isolates). These products had a low lactic acid concentration and were considered as non-spoiled. The microflora of factory 2 was dominated mainly by the genus Lactobacillus (95% of the isolates), and the high lactic acid concentration of these products was linked with a strong spoilage. Among the 30 Lactobacillus strains, three species were predominant: Lactobacillus sakei (nine isolates), Lactobacillus coryniformis (eight isolates) and Lactobacillus paraplantarum (five isolates). Challenge tests were performed to confirm the involvement of the Lactobacillus strains in the spoilage of the product. Sterile “foie gras” samples were inoculated with 14 LAB strains from the collection. The most acidifying strains belonged to the species L. sakei, Lactobacillus plantarum and L. paraplantarum. This confirmed the role of the strains from the Lactobacillus genus as the main spoilers of “foie gras” products and will be useful to design new quality protocols and extend the shelf-life of these products.     

Combined use of modified atmosphere packaging and high pressure to extend the shelf-life of raw poultry sausage

The contribution of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) in extending the shelf-life of high-pressure treated raw poultry sausages was examined by considering microbial and oxidative stability (TBARs) aspects. Raw poultry sausages packaged under air or modified atmosphere (50% CO₂–50% N₂) were pressurized at 500 MPa during 5 min at a maximum temperature of 10.5 °C, subsequently allowed to refrigerated storage during 22 days. During storage, samples were tested at time intervals for headspace gas composition, pH, TBARs, Aerobic Mesophilic Counts (AMC) and Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) counts. The high pressure treatment could represent an efficient means of extending the microbiological shelf-life, insofar as it reduced and stabilized the AMC and LAB counts. However, the MAP did not further improve the microbial quality. But, still, by limiting lipid oxidation, it remains an essential technology for the control of the organoleptic quality, another important characteristic to consider in shelf-life determinations.Industrial relevanceRaw poultry meat and especially raw ground poultry meat, such as raw poultry sausages are highly perishable.Economic challenges and busier lifestyles have consumers seeking out products with longer and longer shelf-lives. Manufacturers have to respond to this demand by improving processes. The use of alternative preservation techniques such as high hydrostatic pressure represents a promising strategy to enhance the shelf-life of meat products and is preferred by consumers to addition of food additives. Modified atmosphere packaging is largely used to extend the shelf-life of processed meat products. Manufacturers may question the relevance of maintaining MAP while introducing a new step of high pressure treatment in their process. This study showed that MAP significantly reduced lipid oxidation. In that way, MAP remains necessary to maintain organoleptic quality of pressurized raw poultry sausages.