Active Packaging Extends Beef Shelf Life

Researchers from the University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain, recently demonstrated that polypropylene film enhanced with immobilized natural antioxidants helps extend the shelf life of beef by helping prevent the effects of oxidation. The results of this research were recently published in the Oct. 4 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (see http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/abstract.cgi/jafcau/2006/54/i20/abs/jf060775c.html).

The researchers tested the antioxidant-enhanced polypropylene film using both pure myoglobin--selected for its high affinity for oxygen--and fresh beef steaks. They tested different myoglobin concentrations based on typical levels of this compound in fresh meat and meat derivatives to help estimate how the packaging material would react in different application scenarios. The researchers also tested different concentrations of antioxidants in the polypropylene film. The samples were exposed to cool-white fluorescent light to accelerate the oxidation for a period of time ranging from 5 to 30 days. They then tested the samples to determine rates of oxidation and any organoleptic changes.

The results showed that, compared to normal polypropylene, the active film containing natural antioxidants efficiently enhanced the stability of both myoglobin and fresh meat against oxidation. Therefore, the researchers have concluded that this packaging approach might prove a promising way to extend the shelf life of fresh meat.