Shelf life extension of lamb meat using thyme or oregano essential oils and modified atmosphere packaging

• Published in: Meat science Vol. 88; no. 1; pp. 109 - 116
• Main Authors: Karabagias, I., Badeka, A., Kontominas, M.G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2011; [Amsterdam]: Elsevier Science; Elsevier
• Subjects: air; analysis; Animals; Aroma and flavouring agent industries; Atmosphere; Biological and medical sciences; Chemical Phenomena; chemistry; Colony Count, Microbial; color; essential oils; Food industries; Food Microbiology; Food Packaging; Food Preservation; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Handling, storage, packaging, transport; Humans; Lamb meat; Male; Meat; Meat - analysis; Meat - microbiology; Meat and meat product industries; microbiology; modified atmosphere packaging; Odorants; Odorants - analysis; odors; Oils, Volatile; Oils, Volatile - chemistry; oregano; Oregano oil; Origanum; Origanum - chemistry; Plant Extracts; Plant Extracts - chemistry; raw meat; sensory evaluation; Sheep, Domestic; shelf life; Shelf life extension; storage time; taste; thyme; Thyme oil; Thymus Plant; Thymus Plant - chemistry; Vacuum; Shelf life extension; Oregano oil; Lamb meat; MAP; Thyme oil; Spice; Meat product; Oregano; Shelf life; Thyme; Food preservation; Packaging; Essential oil; Conditioning
• ISSN: 0309-1740; 1873-4138; 1873-4138
• DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2010.12.010

The effect of thyme (TEO) and oregano (OEO) essential oils as well as modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) in extending the shelf life of fresh lamb meat stored at 4 °C was investigated. In a preliminary experiment TEO and OEO were used at concentrations 0.1 and 0.3% v/w while MAP tested included MAP1 (60% CO 2/40% N 2) and MAP2 (80% CO 2/20% N 2). Microbiological, physicochemical and sensory properties of lamb meat were monitored over a 20 day period. Sensory analysis showed that at the higher concentration both essential oils gave a strong objectionable odour and taste and were not further used. Of the two essential oils TEO was more effective as was MAP2 over MAP1 for lamb meat preservation. In a second experiment the combined effect of TEO (0.1%) and MAP2 (80/20) on shelf life extension of lamb meat was evaluated over a 25 day storage period. Microbial populations were reduced up to 2.8 log cfu/g on day 9 of storage with the most pronounced effect being achieved by the combination MAP2 plus TEO (0.1%). TBA values varied for all treatments and remained lower than 4 mg MDA/kg throughout storage. pH values varied between 6.4 and 6.0 during storage. Color parameters (L and b) increased with storage time while parameter (a) remained unaffected. Based primarily on sensory analysis (odour) but also on microbiological data, shelf life of lamb meat was 7 days for air packaged samples, 9–10 days for samples containing 0.1% of TEO and 21–22 days for MAP packaged samples containing 0.1% TEO.