Effect of storage temperatures and time on shelf‐life of sliced and modified atmosphere packaged Pastırma,a dried meat product,produced from beef

The effects of modified atmosphere on some physical, chemical and microbiological properties of sliced past?rma made from beef Longissimus dorsi muscle were investigated. Sliced‐past?rma samples (moisture 43.65 ± 0.15%, pH 5.71 ± 0.02) were stored in modified atmosphere packages (50% N₂ + 50% CO₂) at 4 and 10 °C for 150 days. The storage period had a significant effect (p < 0.01) on moisture, pH, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, free fatty acid, non‐protein nitrogen, water‐soluble nitrogen, colour values and total aerobic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria and Micrococcus/Staphylococcus counts. The storage temperatures (4 and 10 °C) also had a significant effect (p < 0.01) on moisture, pH, thiobarbituric acid reactive subctances, free fatty acid, water soluble nitrogen, a* values, total aerobic bacteria lactic acid bacteria, and Micrococcus/Staphylococcus counts. It was determined that the storage period × the storage temperature interactions had a significant (p < 0.01) effect on the values of pH, a* and the counts of total aerobic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, Micrococcus/Staphylococcus. It was also observed that the yeast and mold count was the highest in the first storage period and decreased throughout storage. Enterobacteriaceae count was also below the detectable level (<2.00 cfu g^?1) throughout the storage period. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry