Some microbiological considerations applying to the conditioning, ageing and vacuum packaging of lamb

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Summary: Laboratory investigations are described in which legs of lamb were conditioned at 18 and 10°C, followed by ageing at 3.3°C under controlled conditions of air movement and relative humidity and stored at 3, 7 and 15°C. It was concluded that the lower conditioning temperature was less likely to give problems associated with rapid microbial multiplication, though no potentially dangerous organisms were detected after conditioning and ageing at either temperature. The shelf‐life of the meat conditioned at 18°C was shorter than at 10°C. In a subsequent investigation cuts of meat from a leg conditioned at 10°C and aged at 3.3°C were vacuum packaged and stored at 1–2 and 7°C for up to 6 weeks. The meat had spoiled in the vacuum‐packages at 7°C after 6 weeks, but not after 3, while spoilage was not detected in the 6 week stored meat at 1–2°C, though faecal streptococci were present in all samples after 3 weeks. Clostridium welchii was found (26 per 100 g) in the 10°C conditioned meat stored at 1–2°C, after 6 weeks. Large numbers of Gram‐negative organisms including psychrotrophic Enterobacteriaceae were found on the meat stored at 7°C.