Raw material selection: meat and poultry 65 Table 3.1 Chilled storage life of meat and meat products at different storage temperatures Storage time(days)in temperature range -4.lto-l.1 2.ltos.1°C 5.2to8.2°C Food Mean sd Mean sd Mean sd Mean Bacon 45 20 Beef 40263432 aooe 5086 10 461 18 Rabbi Offal 6 Sausage 10 little difference in the microbial spoilage of beef, lamb, pork and other meat derived from mammals The presence of exudate or 'drip, which accumulates in the container of pre- packaged meat, or in trays or dishes of unwrapped meat, substantially reduces its sales appeal. Drip can be referred to by a number of different names including purge loss,,press loss' and thaw loss' depending on the method of measurement and when it is measured. Drip loss occurs throughout the cold chain and represents a considerable economic loss to the red meat industry Poultry meat is far less prone to drip. The potential for drip loss is inherent in fresh meat and is influenced by many factors. Some of these, including breed diet and physiological history, are inherent in the live animal. Others, such as the rate of chilling, storage temperatures, freezing and thawing, occur during processing. Meat colour can be adversely affected by a variety of factors, including post-mortem handling, chilling, storage and packaging In Australia, CSIRO stated that Toughness is caused by three major factors advancing age of the animal, 'cold shortening '(the muscle fibre contraction at can occur during chilling)and unfavourable meat acidity(pH). 'There is general agreement on the importance of these factors, with many experts adding oking as a fourth equally important influent 3.2 The influence of the live animal Some of the factors that influence the toughness or meat are inherent in the live animal. Church and wood state that it is now well established that it is the properties of the connective tissue proteins, and not the total amount of collagen in meat, that largely determines whether meat is tough or tender. As the animallittle difference in the microbial spoilage of beef, lamb, pork and other meat derived from mammals. The presence of exudate or ‘drip’, which accumulates in the container of pre￾packaged meat, or in trays or dishes of unwrapped meat, substantially reduces its sales appeal.3 Drip can be referred to by a number of different names including ‘purge loss’, ‘press loss’ and ‘thaw loss’ depending on the method of measurement and when it is measured. Drip loss occurs throughout the cold chain and represents a considerable economic loss to the red meat industry. Poultry meat is far less prone to drip. The potential for drip loss is inherent in fresh meat and is influenced by many factors. Some of these, including breed, diet and physiological history, are inherent in the live animal. Others, such as the rate of chilling, storage temperatures, freezing and thawing, occur during processing. Meat colour can be adversely affected by a variety of factors, including post-mortem handling, chilling, storage and packaging.4 In Australia, CSIRO5 stated that ‘Toughness is caused by three major factors – advancing age of the animal, ‘cold shortening’ (the muscle fibre contraction that can occur during chilling) and unfavourable meat acidity (pH).’ There is general agreement on the importance of these factors, with many experts adding cooking as a fourth equally important influence. 3.2 The influence of the live animal Some of the factors that influence the toughness or meat are inherent in the live animal. Church and Wood4 state that it is now well established that it is the properties of the connective tissue proteins, and not the total amount of collagen in meat, that largely determines whether meat is tough or tender. As the animal Table 3.1 Chilled storage life of meat and meat products at different storage temperatures Storage time (days) in temperature range:
4.1 to
1.1ºC
1 to 2ºC 2.1 to 5.1ºC 5.2 to 8.2ºC Food Mean sd Mean sd Mean sd Mean sd Bacon 45 6 15 3 42 20 Beef 40 26 34 32 10 8 9 9 Lamb 55 20 41 46 28 34 Pork 50 58 22 30 16 16 15 18 Poultry 32 18 17 10 12 11 7 3 Veal 21 10 6 49 49 Rabbit 9 7 13 6 Offal 7 7 6 14 7 Bacon 45 6 15 3 42 20 Sausage 80 43 21 16 36 28 24 10 Raw material selection: meat and poultry 65