Conservation of Cervus elaphus meat in modified atmospheres

This study examines the effect of three types of modified atmospheres, each with a different gas composition (A:40% CO(2)+60% N(2); B:80% CO(2)+20% O(2); C:80% CO(2)+20% N(2)), on the development of meat quality of Cervus elaphus in order to suggest a gas composition that best preserves this type of meat. Meat quality was assessed by examining pH, colour as L(∗)a(∗)b(∗) values, drip loss (DL), cooking loss (CL) and shear force (SF). In samples of group A, pH values tended to be higher in all storage periods than those packed with 80% CO(2) and significant differences (P<0.001) among the groups were found at 16 d of storage. Gas composition affected a(∗) and b(∗) parameters (P<0.001), in samples packed with O(2), the b(∗) values were higher than in other groups, while the opposite was true in a(∗) values. Similar values of DL and CL were observed for all treatments and both parameters increased over time. SF values decreased with ageing, with similar values observed for all treatments.