Abstract:
Packaging is considered one of the most
interesting technological aspects of food
production and is a constantly evolving subject
in food production. The type of packaging
is important for the quality and safety of
the product and for the visual appearance of
the product to be immediately evaluated by
consumers. The purpose of this study was to
investigate the effect of four different types
of modified atmosphere packaging (ATM)
and vacuum packaging (VP) currently used
by a company in central Italy, on the main
qualitative characteristics of beef. For these
two traditional and two new solutions with
reduced environmental impact and compostable
were evaluated. For each type of
packaging, two different products were analyzed:
steaks and hamburgers. The samples,
immediately after production, were transported
to the laboratory in refrigerated containers.
Several parameters (color, pH, water
holding capacity, drip loss, and microbiological
characteristics) were evaluated at time 0
and after 7 (T7), 14 (T14) and 21 days (T21) of storage in the dark and at refrigeration
temperature (+4°C ± 2°C). The results
showed that the two types of packaging have
very similar effects on the water-retaining
capacity of the steaks. More noticeable differences
were recorded by the colorimetric
analysis: for both steaks and hamburgers,
the products packaged in the traditional
packaging appeared brighter and redder than
those packaged in the new alternatives. The
microbiological analysis of the steaks
showed higher values in the “new” packaging.
The formation of abundant ropy slime
was observed in one of the samples in the
“new” modified atmosphere package at T21.
The results of this study showed that the
technological characteristics (in particular,
the color) and the microbiological characteristics
of the steaks and hamburgers were better
in “old” packaging, with a better appearance
and a longer shelf life. The results
obtained show how the research for eco-sustainable
products for packaging must be
addressed, taking into account the effect of
the materials on the qualitative and hygienic-
sanitary characteristics of the meat.
