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Carbon dioxide evolution of refrigerated meat
1Department of Technical Microbiology, Chemical Centre, University of Lund, PO Box 740, S-220 07 Lund, Sweden.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) evolution from pork loins was measured under different storage conditions. CO2 levels were highest initially, then stabilized, with no significant differences observed between aerobic/anaerobic or pre/post-rigor storage.
Area of Science:
- Food Science
- Meat Science
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Understanding carbon dioxide (CO2) evolution in meat is crucial for shelf-life prediction and quality assessment.
- Previous research has not fully elucidated the sources of CO2 in stored meat products.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify carbon dioxide (CO2) evolution from pork loins under various storage conditions.
- To investigate the influence of rigor mortis state and atmosphere on CO2 production.
- To evaluate potential hypotheses for the origin of CO2 in meat.
Main Methods:
- Measurement of CO2 evolution rates from pork loins stored at 5°C in air or nitrogen.
- Comparison of CO2 production in 'pre-rigor' (immediately post-slaughter) and 'post-rigor' (20 h post-slaughter) meat.
- Analysis of CO2 evolution patterns over time.
Main Results:
- CO2 evolution rate was highest on the first day of storage, then decreased and stabilized.
- No significant differences in CO2 evolution rates were found between aerobic (air) and anaerobic (nitrogen) storage.
- CO2 evolution rates were similar for both pre-rigor and post-rigor pork loins.
Conclusions:
- The observed CO2 evolution patterns do not fully align with proposed hypotheses (e.g., diffusion, cellular metabolism, microbial activity).
- Further research is needed to definitively identify the sources of CO2 in stored meat.
- Findings have implications for optimizing meat packaging strategies, such as vacuum packaging.
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