SHELF LIFE MICROBIOLOGICAL EVALUATION IN CHILLED READY TO EAT FOODS – PRELIMINARY REPORT

Abstract

This paper is the preliminary report of a research whose aim is to define an operative protocol for the microbiological shelf-life evaluation of chilled ready-to-eat products as established by the manufacturer. Samples were stored in our laboratory at two different temperatures: +3°C (storage temperature established by the producer) and +7°C (storage temperature more similar to the domestic condition), and were examined at 6 moments of shelf-life. According to preliminary results, the evolving microbiological profile of the two different temperature stored samples seems to be the same (p>0.05) during the observation period.

Keywords

• Shelf life, ready to eat foods, microbiological evaluation, chilled foods storage temperature.