Augmenting Quality and Microbial Safety of Broiler Meat at Refrigeration Storage by Applying Chemical Interventions

Abstract

The spoilage of meat may arise from several intrinsic and extrinsic factors including physical damage or chemical changes. It is well established fact that microbial activity is by far the most significant cause of meat deterioration. This study was conducted with the aim to investigate the role of chlorine (0.5, 1 and 1.5%), trisodium phosphate (TSP, 5, 10 and 15%) and ascorbic acid (1, 2 and 3%) solutions in meat preservation. Quality parameters including color, texture, pH, TVB-N values and sensory attributes of meat were also analyzed during the storage period of 8 days at refrigeration temperature. Results showed that 15% TSP solution showed the minimum value of total plate count (2.09 log CFU/cm2) which indicated its greater potential for surface decontamination of raw chicken as compared to the other treatments. Practical Applications The key objective of this study was to explore the potential of different antimicrobial agents such as chlorinated water, trisodium phosphate and ascorbic acid for surface decontamination, quality attributes and sensory characteristics of raw poultry meat. Currently, poultry industry is looking for different antimicrobial solutions for online applications to curb microbial load of meat and meat products during processing and preservation. This research work is important for developing countries because most of the meat is being sold in butcher's shop under unhygienic conditions. Accordingly, the current project will help the meat professionals to improve the meat quality and to mitigate the microbial load through deploying different antimicrobial regimens.