Presented byManju .p CBPST, Cochi

• In the packaging of meat two factors have to be considered,

1.Color of meat2. Microbiology

• Colour of the meat is one of the main attributes of meat quality.

• The association of colour of red meat with freshness has been the dominant factor in retail meat marketing.

• The loss of bright red colour of meat is known as “bloom”.

• The composition of bacteria that is present on meat at the starting of spoilage is affected by the qualities of the tissues on which the bacteria is growing, the composition of atmosphere around the product and the number of bacteria at the time of packaging.

• Tray with overlap

•Vacuum packaging

The most common packages for retail fresh meat cuts are trays over wrapped with a transparent film.

Meat thus wrapped may keep for approximately 10 days at a temperature of 0⁰ c.

• polystyrene foam or clear plastic trays can be used.

• Cellophane coated with nitrocellulose on one side can be used for wrapping fresh meat for a considerable period.

• Another grade of cellophane with polyethylene coating on one side is also used though it is not much in use.

• Tray with overlap• Vacuum packaging

• Vacuum packaging achieves its preservative effect by maintaining the product in an oxygen-deficient environment.

• In anaerobic conditions ,potent spoilage bacteria are severely or totally inhibited on low pH (<5.8) meat.

• Thus shelf life of meat can be increased.

• Vacuum packaging involves enclosing boneless meat in flexible plastic containers or bags to prevent moisture loss and exclude oxygen from the meat’s surface.

• .

• Packing under a vacuum reduces the volume of air sealed in with the meat.

• In packaging fresh meat, many cuts contain bones, which are often sharp and abrasive and readily puncture the flexible plastic materials used in vacuum packaging. To overcome this bone puncture ,a BONEGUARD material consisting of a wax-impregnated and coated cotton scrim is employed

• It involves placing the meat into a heat shrinkable barrier bag and then evacuating the bag prior to sealing by heated jaws.

• Golden Eagle is a brand of hot water, cook-in shrink bags which provide excellent clarity, tremendous shrink capabilities, and puncture resistance for bone-in meat applications.

• Barrier Bags enhance products appearance by utilizing monolayer film technology that combines nylon and polyolefin resins to produce a high quality, puncture resistant bags.

• The low oxygen and moisture transmission rates extend

products shelf life.

• The bag is then heat shrunk by placing in water at 90 c.

• After shrinking, the bag conforms closely to the meat and produces a tight vacuum pack.

• In this technique, meat is placed into a pre-formed plastic bag which is then put in an enclosed chamber which is evacuated.

• When a predetermined low pressure has been reached, heated jaws close and seal.

• Typical bag constructions consist of laminates or co-extrusions which include polyamide or PET as the outside layer to provide strength and a good oxygen barrier ,and inner layers of LLDPE ,ionomer or EVA copolymer which are good moisture barriers and can be easily heat sealed.

Materials used

• In this method, deep trays are thermoformed in-line from a base web of plastic.

• Meat is placed in the trays and an upper web of plastic is heat sealed under vacuum to form a lid.

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• This type of vacuum packaging is particularly well suited to hot boned,pre-rigor meat which is difficult to package in bags, the tray providing a certain degree of molding to the meat as it cools

• Laminates of polyamide ,PET or PVC ,sometimes with a PVC/PVDC copolymer coating and heat sealing layers such as LDPE,EVA copolymer or ionomer.

• In this technique, meat portions are skin packed in a barrier film material, the top web of which is softened by heating before applying a vacuum and sealing.

• During this operation ,soft film molds itself to the shape of the meat to give a skin-tight package , the meat thus being held under anaerobic conditions.

• The meat retains, for at least 2 weeks storage at 1 ⁰C, its ability to develop a bright red colour when exposed to air.

• Frozen meat is stored and displayed between -10⁰ C and 30 ⁰C at which temperatures microbial growth is arrested.

• It is claimed that ionomer film will keep the bright red colour for at least a year if the meat is stored in the dark at -20⁰C.

• When frozen meat and meat products are stored without an adequate moisture vapor barrier an opaque dehydrated surface known as freezer burn is formed.

• Freezer burn is caused by the sublimation of ice on the surface of the product. it can be eliminated by reducing the head space in the package.

• Frozen products have traditionally been packaged in bags, pouches trays, overwraps and plastic-coated paperboard, with polyolefin's being the most common material used.

• They must ,of course contain appropriate plasticizers so that their mechanical properties are not impaired at sub-zero temperatures.

• Vacuum skin packaging is also used for frozen meat products.

• Typically a heat-softened ionomer film is draped over the product which is supported on a lower web of the same material.

• Thermal processing at above 100⁰ C usually accomplished under pressure ,is done to prepare commercially sterile meat products.

• The packaging of this considers two factors.

1.short-term storage 2.long-term storage

• Meat products like sausages,nuggets,meat balls, etc can be packaged in pouches made up of PE,PP,PVDC, for short-term storage lasting for 10-12 days at 4 ⁰C.

• Meat products like corned beef, corned pork, meat gravies, meat soups, liver sausages, chicken curry, boneless chicken etc are hermetically sealed and cooked to make commercially sterile for long term storage at room temperature.

• Two types of containers are suited for this purpose.

1.metal cansCanned meat products are

shelf stable for a number of years at room temperature which uses aluminium cans

Retort pouches• A retort pouch is a plastic

and metal foil laminate pouch that is used as an alternative to traditional industrial canning methods

• A retort pouch is constructed from a flexible metal-plastic laminate which is able to withstand thermal processing via sterilization.

• The food is first prepared, even raw or semi-cooked, and then sealed into the retort pouch. The pouch is then heated to 240-250°F (116-121°C) for several minutes under high pressure, inside retort or autoclave machines. The food inside is cooked, similar to pressure cooking.

• This process reliably kills all commonly occurring microorganisms preventing it from spoiling.

• The lamination doesn’t allow permeation of gases into the pouch.

• Dehydration is a successful means of preserving many meats with proper packaging.

• Tinplate cans• Metal/foil/plastic film

laminates• Flexible pouches made of

polyester/PE/aluminium foil/PE laminates/