Category Archives: Food Hygiene

Abstract

Antimicrobial packaging appears to be a promising application of active food packaging technology. This project was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of selected antimicrobial packaging structures in improving the microbial quality of a ready-to-eat (RTE) meat product. Cooked ham samples (25 g) inoculated with a five-strain mixture of Listeria monocytogenes (2 or 4 log CFU g⁻¹) were packaged into three different antimicrobial packaging structures, respectively, and samples in the non-antimicrobial packaging structure served as controls. The samples were stored at 4, 10, or 22 °C, and populations of total aerobic bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, and inoculated L. monocytogenes were determined twice a week over a 4 w storage period. Packaging structures with an O₂ scavenger or a CO₂ generator were more effective than the structure with an allyl isothiocyanate (AIT) generator. Listeria populations in the packaging structure with the O₂ scavenger were 1.80–2.65, 3.69–4.76, and 4.62–4.67 log CFU g⁻¹ lower than the controls at 4, 10, or 22 °C. Samples in the packaging structure with the CO₂ generator were 1.11–1.63, 4.30–4.45, and 4.01–4.44 log CFU g⁻¹ lower than the controls at 4, 10, or 22 °C. Significant inhibitions on total aerobic bacteria and Enterobacteriaceae counts were also observed in packaging structures with the CO₂ generator and O₂ scavenger. However, packaging structures with the AIT generator only significantly inhibited L. monocytogenes, total aerobic bacteria, and Enterobacteriaceae in some samples, mainly those stored at 22 °C. These results suggest that some of the evaluated packaging structures can effectively control bacterial populations, particularly Listeria populations on RTE meat products.