Ozone treatment of chilled beef

Summary. The initial specific rate of ozone decomposition by muscle was 1.02 ± 0.23 m/hr, for tissue stored at 0.3°C and equilibrium relative humidities (EH) of 99.3, 98.5 or 98.0% in air with ozone concentrations between 0.15 and 38.3 mg/m³, or in air-ozone mixtures containing 11% CO₂. the value was not affected by the presence or absence on the muscle surface of meat spoilage bacteria, yeasts or moulds but considerably lower values were obtained for lean and high fat surface tissues (0.44 and 0.31, respectively).
The slope α of the linear course of the logarithm of reaction velocity-time curves was a power function α= - 9.74 10^-4O₃]^1.54 for ozone concentrations O₃] 5 mg/m³. the slope was not significantly different from zero when muscle of EH 98.5% was exposed to 0.7 mg/m³ ozone, but significant values were determined when muscle had an EH of 98.0, and also when tissue (EH 99.3%) was exposed to ozone concentrations > 0.7 mg/m³. Values of α determined for surface tissue and muscle tissue were not significantly different when the same treatment was applied.