Dinâmica microbiana em contrafilés bovinos embalados a vácuo: sistemas de terminação e tempo de estocagem

Abstract

Considering the importance of the quality of vacuum-packed meat for the trading of this product, this study aimed at evaluating the microbial dynamics of bovine meat cuts Longissimus dorsi, commercially known as striploin (boneless sirloin), which were vacuum-packed and stored at 0 ± 1 °C at the slaughterhouse for five periods of storage. The samples of meat cuts from females zebu cows, being 15 animals aged nearly 46 months old and feed in grazing system, and 15 aged nearly 12 months old which were fattened at a highperformance confinement. After being cooled and stored during 75 days, these chilled vacuum-packed meat samples were assessed on microbiological quality at 0, 30, 60, 45 e 75 shelf-life days. The microbiological quality was evaluated by detecting and count of the viable aerobic bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, anaerobes and lactic acid bacteria, the most probable number determination (MPN) of coliforms, fecal coliforms and Escherichia coli; as well as the pH and temperature of meat cuts. The termination system has affected the microbial dynamics partially. The vacuum-packaged meat might contain deteriorative and pathogenic microorganisms arising from environmental or fecal contamination. The longer the meat cuts were storage, the higher was the microorganisms count.