MICROBIOLOGICAL AND SENSORY PROPERTIES OF FRESH BEEF STEAKS UNDER LOW CARBON MONOXIDE WITH OR WITHOUT OXYGEN

摘要

IntroductionThe addition of low concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO) can avoid discoloration of beef stored in virtually oxygen-free atmospheres for lengthened periods and restore the bloomed color through the interaction of CO with myoglobin (Hunt et al., 2004). A possible disadvantage of using CO in beef packaging is the masking of the microbiological conditions, since the red bloom color of carboxymyoglobin keeps stable despite the poor microbiological quality of the beef (Jayasingh et al., 2001, S?rheim et al., 1999). Oxygen is injected,not only to inhibit anaerobic growth, but also to obtain carboxymyoglobin and oxymyoglobin mixtures in an attempt to maintain the natural color of the beef (Luno et al., 2000).