The Effect of Marinating Camel Meat with Ginger Aqueous Extract and Citric Acid on Microbial and Chemical Characteristics

Marinating meat in solutions containing organic acids and plant extracts reduces the microbial load and increases its shelf life. In the present study, the effect of marinating camel meat with an aqueous extract of ginger and citric acid was investigated on the growth rate of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria and changes in pH and total volatile nitrogen (TVN). For this purpose, camel thigh meat samples were divided into 8 groups, including the control group (marinated in distilled water) and groups marinated with citric acid (0.5, 1.5, and 1.5%) and groups marinated with a combination of aqueous extract of 30% ginger and citric acid (0.5, 1.5 and 1.5%). The samples were stored at 4 °C and after 24 and 48 hours, microbiological and chemical tests were performed. The results showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the control and other groups (P˂ 0.05). The Control group showed the highest microbial growth in both time intervals. The lowest pH was observed in 1.5% citric acid marinade, while the highest pH was related to the control group and ginger extract solution. The Control group showed the highest TVN after 48 h (P˂ 0.05). Based on the results, it can be concluded that changes in the concentration of citric acid and ginger extract affected the growth of S. aureus and E. coli inoculated on camel meat and increased its shelf life in refrigerated temperatures.