Effect of Ultrasound Treatment Prior to Vacuum and Modified Atmosphere Packaging on Microbial and Physical Characteristics of Fresh Beef

The effects of ultrasound treatment prior to the vacuum package and modified atmosphere package on physical, microbial and sensory characteristics of beef meat stored at refrigerator 4oC. Sampling was carried out on the 0, 3, 6, 10, 14, 18 and 22 day of storage. The initial bacteria loading was the slight same on all meat samples and microbial load increase over time. The extension of shelf life may be due to the synergistic effect of integration of two types of preservation used on the microbiological and physicochemical characteristics of meat. Both these hurdles could prolong and delay microbial growth or suppress the final counts of the spoilage microorganisms in comparison with the ‘control’ samples. Ultrasound combined with MAP showed the highest panelists acceptance during the storage. Results showed deterioration in the properties of the microbial and physical characteristics quality of the control samples compared with other samples during the storage.