Stability of Poultry Meat During Refrigerated Storage, based on the Packaging Used

Abstract

This study proposes a comprehensive investigation into identifying the spoilage threshold of refrigerated meat, focusing on skinless boneless chicken breast, packaged in two distinct methods: polyethylene bags with clips (Cryovac system) and trays wrapped in stretch film (Skin type). The analyses were initiated starting from the 7th day of storage, following the manufacturer's recommendations, and included parameters such as pH, easily hydrolyzable nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide, and formic aldehyde. Every day, we rigorously followed a protocol to examine five product units for each packaging method. The results indicate that, for 7 days, the freshness of the meat was maintained under both packaging conditions; however, subsequently, it was compromised. Nevertheless, it is noted that the chicken breast packaged in polyethylene bags with clips exhibited significantly longer freshness retention compared to the chicken breast packaged in trays with stretch film. These findings make significant contributions to understanding the process of refrigerated meat spoilage and can guide the development of improved packaging and storage strategies in the food industry.

Keywords

• freshness
• packaging
• poultry meat
• refrigeration