Evaluation of Microbial Population and Quality Properties of Fresh Veal Meat Packedunder Modified Atmosphere and Essential Oils of Rosemary and Cumin

In this study, the effect of different concentrations of three types of gasmixtures (carbon dioxide, nitrogen, oxygen), as well as vacuum and also ordinaryconditions as control and essential oils of rosemary and cuminum to increase shelf life ofthe fresh veal meat at 40C in a 3-layer pouch(124 μ) were evaluated.

Ordinary conditions as control packaging, were compared withfour kinds of modified atmosphere packaging 1)80% CO2 + 20% N2 , 2) 20% CO2 + 80%N2 , 3)%48.5 CO2+48.5% N2 + 3%O2 and 4) under vacuum condition along with injectionof rosemary and cuminum essential oils (1.5 % WE/WS), and samples without essentialoils.Microbial test concerned with aerobics and anaerobic count were peformed on thesamples during 20 days of storage , chemical tests concerned with pH and peroxide as wellas sensory evaluation were due conducted.

The results indicated that the shelf life of veal meat with rosemary essential oilunder gas compositions , 80% CO2 ; 48.5% CO2 & 20% CO2 ; 20, 18 ,15 days,respectively, in vacuum and ordinary conditions were 12 , 8 days, with cuminum essentialoil in gas compositions, 80% CO2 ,17 days , in conditions 48.5% CO2 & 20% CO2 15 and13 days, in vacuum and control were 10 , 6 days, without essential oil injection, under gascompositions 80% CO2 ; 48.5% CO2 & 20% CO2 ; 13, 11, 10 days in vacuum and ordinaryconditions were 8 , 4 days, respectively.

The best condition belonged to the samples containing rosemary essential oilunder the condition 80% CO2 after 20 day, and had desirable effects on microbialpopulation (aerobics bacteria "5.314 logcfu/ml”, anaerobic bacteria "3.77 logcfu/ml”), pH(5.42), PV (3.993) and also sensory properties of the samples.