Quality is an important factor that gives credence as to how a product can satisfy a customer or consumer, per its implied or stated needs with regards to certain features or characteristics that need to be met. In most of our culinary adventures, preservation of food quality is needed to maintain nutritional value as well as retain desirable characteristics such as color, texture, and flavor of products. Aside from fruits and vegetables that are quite perishable and whose storage is essential, due to their high supply levels of biologically active compounds that impart health benefits, meats also form a facet of products whose liability to microbial spoilage is quite high due to their high moisture content.
Meat generally refers to the flesh of animals that are used as food. It is a primary source of protein and that makes it a good source for growth, repair of worn-out tissues, etc. Animals that are normally reared for their meat in most of the world include poultry, cattle, fish, etc. Likewise fruits and vegetables, meats are quite highly perishable products due to their composition and relatively high moisture content depending on the source of meat. Without proper preservation, it can easily develop unpleasant aromas, and flavors and can serve as potential health risks. Unpreserved meat can provide a haven for non-beneficial and harmful microorganisms such as bacteria and parasites, thereby tempering the safety of the meat thus leading to foodborne illnesses(James and James, 2002).
Refrigeration is now a household name that provides an avenue for storing meat. Although some other methods and processes are also employed, refrigeration is the most common type of storing meat in most urban areas, and it has now transcended to rural areas due to urbanization. Other methods such as curing, smoking, drying, and even canning, etc., all work on the same principle, which involves making conditions unfavorable for microbial growth, by reducing moisture, oxygen, etc. to an appreciable level to as to still maintain the value of the meat. Recent times have seen the exploration of active packaging and other forms of advanced packaging techniques which also play a pivotal role in maintaining the aesthetic appeal of the meat as well aside from shelf life extension. Refrigeration in itself involves meat storage at low temperatures to slow down the growth of microorganisms, particularly bacteria that can lead to spoilage. The penultimate goal is to maintain its safety and quality. Unlike other storage methods such as drying, curing, and smoking which will temper most of the organoleptic properties of the meat, refrigeration preserves the meat as it is. These storage methods aside from prolonging shelf life, are also used in developing certain desired flavors and tastes that will either be used as condiments or a raw material in dish preparation.
Refrigerators employ temperatures between 0oC and 4oC. These are the optimal temperatures that refrigerators use in slowing down enzymatic and microbial activities responsible for spoilage. Although some microorganisms are mesophilic, cold temperatures inhibit the rapid growth of most bacteria which are responsible for meat degradation. That is because most bacteria thrive in warm temperatures. Enzymatic activities that are also responsible for meat degradation are also less active at lower temperatures thus helping to preserve the meat’s color, texture, and flavor. Although moisture provides a haven for microbial, an appreciable quantity of it is needed to maintain the freshness of the meat. Refrigeration helps to maintain this freshness by retaining the natural moisture content of meat(James and James, 2002).
Just as there are two sides to a coin there are two sides to every story. Regardless of the chilling effect, quality dance, and extension of the tickling clock that refrigeration provides, some other demerits accompany refrigeration if the duration time is not considered. Although storage conditions such as refrigeration etc, might provide the solution to meat spoilage, the duration of storage is of prerequisite importance as the storage itself. Comparatively, storage duration is a factor that affects the nutritional profile of fruits and vegetables such as the antioxidant content, therefore storage of fruits and vegetables is essential as it dictates whether the produce will be nutritionally declined, maintained, or inclined, and similar effects on meat could be purported. The negative impact of refrigeration is most at times attributed to the type of meat and the duration of refrigeration. The duration of refrigeration can have effects on meat quality depending on factors such initial quality of meat, the condition of packaging, and the specific type of meat. Prolonged refrigeration time can contribute to dehydration thus leading to dryness and less juicy texture due to excessive moisture loss, in cases where the food is not properly wrapped, the case worsens. Certain meats such as ground beef, lean beef, dark meat chicken, etc with very high moisture content can have their texture altered when thawed after being placed in a fridge for longer durations. This can disrupt the cellular structure, affecting the tenderness of the meat. Desirable features organoleptic features such as color could fade when refrigeration duration is not properly adhered to. Reduced refrigeration time is also undesirable as this will increase microbial load due to the existence of favorable conditions available for growth, thus leading to spoilage and the prevalence of unwanted organoleptic features(Zhong et al., 2009).
Several factors affect the duration of refrigeration. Knowledge of these factors can help regulate the storage time of meat in a fridge. Not all meats require the same refrigeration time thus it is essential to know the type of meat since different meats have different levels of perishability. Ground meats are more perishable than whole, and poultry tends to have a shorter shelf life as compared to red meats. Also quality of meat at the time of purchase plays a paramount role, as in the case of garbage in garbage out. Less quality meat when stored at the same duration as the quality meat will degrade faster. According to the USDA, maintaining the correct temperature at or below 4oC is enough to maintain meat quality. Proper packaging, handling practices, and refrigerator cleanliness play a crucial role in how refrigeration duration could affect meat quality(Sampers et al., 2010).
To monitor refrigeration duration, it is important to practice proper food safety measures to maximize the duration for which meat remains safe and of high quality. Despite refrigeration being an essential method for preserving meat. It is essential to ensure the duration of refrigeration to preserve quality parameters such as taste, texture, aroma, and nutritional value of the meat. Always prioritize freshness when handling and storing meat.
References
James, S.J. and James, C. (2002) Meat refrigeration, Meat refrigeration. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1533/9781855736535.
Sampers, I. et al. (2010) ‘Survival of Campylobacter spp. in poultry meat preparations subjected to freezing, refrigeration, minor salt concentration, and heat treatment’, International Journal of Food Microbiology, 137(2–3), pp. 147–153. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2009.11.013.
Zhong, R.Z. et al. (2009) ‘Effect of dietary tea catechins supplementation in goats on the quality of meat kept under refrigeration’, Small Ruminant Research, 87(1–3), pp. 122–125. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smallrumres.2009.10.012.
Comentarios