Application of ε-polylysine in extending the storage period of pork jerky

In this experiment, natural nontoxic preservative ε-polylysine (ε-PL) was used as a natural preservative in pork jerky. The pork jerky samples with ε-PL (experimental group) and without ε-PL (blank group) were stored at the 27 and 37℃. Then, the number of microorganisms, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), pH, and water activity (Aw) of each group were tested to test the antiseptic effect of ε-PL. The results showed that due to the Staphylococcus aureus was detected, the storage period of the blank group at 27 and 37°C was 15 and 9 days, respectively. However, Coliforms, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, and Shigella were not detected in the experimental group on the 60th day. The experimental group all accord with the national standard for the quantity of microorganisms in meat jerky. The TVB-N content of the blank group reached 14.00 mg/100 g (15th day, 27°C) and 14.93 mg/100 g (9th day, 37°C) at the end of the storage period, while the TVB-N content of the experimental group was 11.20 mg/100 g (60th day, 27℃) and 15.86 mg/100 g (60th day, 37℃), and the increase rate of TVB-N in the blank group was greater than the experimental group, indicating that ε-PL can play a better microbial stabilization effect in pork jerky. The test of pH and Aw showed that ε-PL can stabilize the quality of pork jerky. Finally, the antiseptic effect of ε-PL was comparable to many chemical preservatives. This experiment confirms that ε-PL played an important role in extending the storage period of pork jerky.