Vacuum skin packaging and its effect on selected properties of beef and pork meat

Physicochemical, instrumental and microbiological examinations of steaks of beef and pork (m. longissimus lumborum) in vacuum skin packaging (VSP), conventional vacuum packing (CVP) and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) were performed. Samples were stored at 2 ± 0.5 °C for 3 (pork) or 5 (beef) weeks. No statistically significant changes in pH values were recorded. Statistically significant (p < 0.001) changes in the thiobarbituric reactive substances content in modified atmosphere packed beef samples, and differences between samples in MAP and VSP or CVP were found from week 2 of the experiment onwards. The biggest changes in colour parameters were found in beef samples in MAP. The lowest and highest purge loss was recorded in samples in VSP and CVP, respectively. Vacuum packing enhanced the growth of lactic acid bacteria (LAB). At the end of the experiment, their numbers ranged from 4.31 log₁₀ cfu g^?1 (pork in CVP) to 5.14 log₁₀ cfu g^?1 (beef in VSP). LAB populations reached 2 log₁₀ cfu g^?1 in MAP beef and pork samples. On the other hand, MAP enabled the development of bacteria of the genus Pseudomonas and Brochothrix thermosphacta. The highest increase in coliform bacteria counts was recorded in vacuum-packed pork.