Acceptability, Shrinkage and Microbial Growth of Vacuum Packaged Pork Comparing Intact Packages, Leaking Packages and Roasts Sprayed with Sodium Hypochlorite
Fifty four boneless pork loin roasts from three slaughter sessions were assigned to three treatments: (A) roasts sprayed with sodium hypochlorite (200 ppm) prior to vacuum packaging (sprayed), (B) roasts vacuum packaged and mechanically punctured (leaker), and (C) roasts vacuum packaged (control). Roasts within treatments were assigned to six storage (2.8 ± 1°C) intervals (24 h to 5 weeks). Shrinkage was greater (P<.05) for roasts in leaker bags and roasts sprayed with sodium hypochlorite than for the controls. An increase in tenderness was observed up to the first week of storage and roasts from swine 3 months older were less tender throughout the experiment. The roasts stored in the leaker bags were rated lower (P<.05) than the roasts from intact bags for all sensory panel traits. The panel members were unable to detect differences (P<.05) between samples from the intact vacuum stored roasts for up to the fourth week (treatment A and C); however, small pinholes (treatment B-leaker) caused the roasts to become unacceptable at the fourth week sampling. Storing vacuum packaged boneless fresh pork loins up to 4 weeks did not decrease overall acceptance or sensory characteristics unless the package was a leaker. The psychrotrophic count was higher (P<.05) for the leakers than for the other two treatment groups. A spray of sodium hypochlorite (200 ppm) did not cause a decrease (P<.05) in the bacterial load when compared with the control. Clostridium perfringens was not detected in the study. TBA values increased during storage in a linear fashion for all treatments, and the increase was greatest for the leakers.