The main purpose of this investigation was to study the effect of processing fresh meat with some organic acids and their salts on the shelf-life and microbial quality of these meat during chill storage. Fresh beef samples (144) were collected from an abattoir in Benha city then prepared and treated with dipping in 1 and 2% lactic acid
(LA), 1 and 2% acetic acid (AA), 2.5 and 5% sodium lactate (SL) and 2.5 and 5% sodium acetate (SA) solutions then stored at 4°C at interval period 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 and 21 days and examined sensory, physicochemically and microbiologically. The results of the physical analysis revealed a significant decrease in the pH value. The pH value of control group was 5.82±0.13 at the beginning of the experiment and 4.6±0.14, 4.4±0.13, 4.9±0.13, 4.40±0.19, 5.73±0.08, 5.55±0.08, 5.84±0.08 and 5.69±0.12 for both lactic acid (1% and 2%), acetic acid (1% and 2%), sodium lactate (2.5% and 5%) and lead acetate (2.5% and 5%), respectively. The mean of total volatile basic nitrogen value (TVBN) at the beginning of the experiment was 12.50±1.0 for the control group. On day 21 of the experiment the best mean of TVBN value was 20.70±2.07 for acetic acid (2%) and the highest was 25.70±2.84 for the control group. The results also showed that the mean of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARs) value at the beginning of the experiment was 0.43±0.02 for the control group. On day 21 of the experiment the lowest value of TBARs was 0.51±0.04 for acetic acid (2%) while the highest was 1.17±0.04 for the control group. Also, treatments were efficient against the proliferation of various spoilage microorganisms including aerobic, psychrotrophic, pseudomonas, enterobacteriaceae, Staphylococcus aureus, yeast and mould counts. The analysis of sensory characteristics revealed that the highest general acceptance rate was 8.1±0.2 for the acetic acid-treated beef samples (1%), while the lowest level was 6.2±0.1 for the samples treated with lactic acid (2%). Samples treated with acetic acid 1% and lactic acid 1% showed the best sensory properties in terms of color, texture and flavor. Overall, the use of lactic, acetic acid, and their salts for treating fresh beef improved its microbial safety and extended its shelf-life. This can open new opportunities for beef preservation using efficient, safe, and cost-effective preservatives.
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