FRESH MEAT PACKAGING Goals of Food Packaging Preserve foods - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Warrie Means, Un. of Wyoming 11/28/17 FRESH MEAT PACKAGING Goals of Food Packaging • Preserve foods • Protect foods • Prevent contaminaOon of foods Warrie J. Means, PhD • Aid consumers in use of product Extension Specialist – Meat Science & Applied Food Safety • UniOze or Group products Associate Professor Department of Animal Science • Communicate and Educate the Consumer College of Agriculture & Natural Resources University of Wyoming Goals of Food Packaging – for fresh Package/Container meat products Types/Levels • PRIMARY GOALS • Primary • Prevent dehydraOon • Comes in direct contact with food • Promote good meat color • Preformed, e.g. jars, cans, plasOc containers • Prevent contaminaOon - microorganisms • Formed, in-line from roll stock, flat blanks • Limit gas exchange – H 2 O, O 2 • Secondary • Slow microbial growth • Outer box or case • SECONDARY GOALS • OXen uniOzes • SomeOmes protects primary package, i.e. • Communicate and Educate the Consumer glass jars • Product Label • TerOary • NutriOon Label • Safe handling label • Group several secondary cartons together - pallet loads etc… • Aid consumers in use of product • Cooking/PreparaOon InstrucOons 2017 Range Beef Cow Symposium, Cheyenne, Wyo. 1

Warrie Means, Un. of Wyoming 11/28/17 Requirements of food packaging Meat Packaging Types materials 1. Nontoxic 9. Easy to open • Butcher Paper, waxed – frozen meat 2. Protect against contaminaOon 10. Dispensing and resealing features • PlasOc under-wrap/Butcher Paper over-wrap – frozen meat from microorganisms 11. Easy disposal 3. Barrier to moisture and oxygen 12. Meet size, shape and weight 4. Protect against odor ingress or requirements environmental toxicants 13. Have desired appearance and 5. Filter out harmful UV light printability features 6. Resist physical damage 14. Low cost 7. Transparent 15. CompaOble with food 8. Tamper-resistant/tamper evident 16. UniOzing features Packaging Materials – Butcher Wrap Freezer Burn • Butcher Paper, waxed • DehydraOon of the food, muscle • Prone to freezer burn and • Primarily caused by sublimaOon oxidaOon under prolonged storage • SublimaOon - phase transiOon directly from solid to gas, ice to water vapor • PlasOc under-wrap/Butcher • ExacerbaOng Factors Paper over-wrap • Loose packaging • Much less prone to freezer burn • Temperature fluctuaOons (auto-defrost freezers) and oxidaOon • RelaOvely high frozen food temperatures • Depends on air space between product and package • Also promotes oxidaOon causing off flavors/odors, and pigment discoloraOon 2017 Range Beef Cow Symposium, Cheyenne, Wyo. 2

Warrie Means, Un. of Wyoming 11/28/17 Packaging Materials Meat Packaging Types – Tray Over-wrap • Butcher Paper, waxed – frozen meat Polyvinyl Chloride • PlasOc under-wrap/Butcher Paper over-wrap – frozen meat • Low H 2 O transmission • Tray Over-wrap – fresh meat • Prevents dehydraOon • High O 2 transmission • Oxymyoglobin • Oxymyoglobin – bright cherry red • Purge or Weep • Red liquid (Sarcoplasm) in package • Diaper/soaker pad • 3 day refrigerated shelf life Fresh Beef Color Fresh Beef Color MYOGLOBIN IRON BOUND COLOR NAME STATE LIGAND Deoxymyoglobin Fe +2 H 2 O Dark Purple Oxymyoglobin Fe +2 O 2 Bright Cherry Red Deoxymyoglobin Metmyoglobin Fe +3 None Brown, uncooked meat Denatured Fe +3 None Brown, cooked meat Metmyoglobin Metmyoglobin Oxymyoglobin 2017 Range Beef Cow Symposium, Cheyenne, Wyo. 3

Warrie Means, Un. of Wyoming 11/28/17 Packaging Materials Meat Packaging Types – Vacuum Package Laminates - Composite Polymer Films • Butcher Paper, waxed – frozen meat Eliminate O 2 /Eliminate O 2 • PlasOc under-wrap/Butcher Paper over-wrap – frozen meat • Oriented Polypropylene, • Tray Over-wrap – fresh meat Polyethylene • Low H 2 O transmission • Vacuum package – fresh or frozen meat, processed meats • Polyvinylidene Chloride, Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol • Low O 2 transmission • Extended refrigerated shelf life, 3 weeks or longer • Deoxymyoglobin – dark purple Factors Affecting Microbial Growth in INTRINSIC PARAMETERS Foods • pH INTRINSIC PARAMETERS EXTRINSIC PARAMETERS • ~5.4 for post-rigor beef • pH • Storage Temperature of • Not low enough to inhibit microbial growth, neutral = pH 7.0 Environment • Moisture content, Aw • May manipulate in processed meats • RelaOve Humidity of • Acidified sausage has pH < 5.0 • OxidaOon-ReducOon potenOal Environment • Cooked Roast beef may have pH = 6.0 • Nutrient Content • Presence & ConcentraOon of • AnOmicrobial ConsOtuents Gases in the Environment • Biological Structures 2017 Range Beef Cow Symposium, Cheyenne, Wyo. 4

Warrie Means, Un. of Wyoming 11/28/17 INTRINSIC PARAMETERS INTRINSIC PARAMETERS • Moisture content, Aw (water acOvity) • OxidaOon-ReducOon potenOal • Pure water Aw = 1.0 • Tray over-wrap package has an OxidaOon type environment. • Fresh meat has a high moisture content, ± 75%; Aw = 0.99 • Bacteria requiring O 2 can grow • These bacteria grow relaOvely fast, even at refrigeraOon temperatures • May manipulate for processed meat products • Vacuum or MAP Packaging quickly produces a Reducing type environment • Dried Sausage • Only anaerobic and facultaOve anaerobic bacteria can grow • Jerky, Aw = 0.85 or below • These bacteria grow relaOvely slower at refrigeraOon temperatures INTRINSIC PARAMETERS EXTRINSIC PARAMETERS • Nutrient Content • Storage Temperature of Environment • Meat is a relaOvely good source of nutrients • Meat stored at refrigeraOon temperatures (< 40°F) or frozen • Slows microbial growth • AnOmicrobial ConsOtuents • RelaOve Humidity of Environment • None in fresh meat • May be added to processed meats – salt, nitrite • RH is kept high to deter dehydraOon • Biological Structures • No longer present 2017 Range Beef Cow Symposium, Cheyenne, Wyo. 5

Warrie Means, Un. of Wyoming 11/28/17 Factors Affecting Microbial Growth in EXTRINSIC PARAMETERS Fresh Meat • Presence & ConcentraOon of Gases in the Environment INTRINSIC PARAMETERS EXTRINSIC PARAMETERS • If O 2 is present, e.g. Tray Over-Wrap, microbial growth is faster. • pH • Storage Temperature • If O 2 is not present, e.g. Vacuum, Fill & Form Vacuum, MAP, microbial growth at refrigeraOon temperatures is much slower. • Moisture content, Aw • RelaOve Humidity of Environment • OxidaOon-ReducOon potenOal • Presence & ConcentraOon of • Nutrient Content Gases in the Environment • AnOmicrobial ConsOtuents • Biological Structures Packaging Materials Meat Packaging Types – Form & Fill Laminates - Composite Polymer Films • Butcher Paper, waxed – frozen meat Eliminate O 2 /Eliminate O 2 • PlasOc under-wrap/Butcher Paper over-wrap – frozen meat • Similar materials/traits to • Tray Over-wrap – fresh meat vacuum package • Vacuum package – fresh or frozen meat, processed meats • Faster fill & seal rates • Tray Over-wrap in Master Pack – MAP fresh meat • More durable films • Form & Fill Vacuum Package – fresh or frozen meat, processed meats • May be more desirable package shape; printability • Higher cost 2017 Range Beef Cow Symposium, Cheyenne, Wyo. 6

Warrie Means, Un. of Wyoming 11/28/17 Packaging Materials Meat Packaging Types – MAP • Butcher Paper, waxed – frozen meat Modified Atmosphere Packaging • PlasOc under-wrap/Butcher Paper over-wrap – frozen meat • ~80% N 2 • Tray Over-wrap – fresh meat • ~20% CO 2 • Vacuum package – fresh or frozen meat, processed meats • 0.4% CO • Tray Over-wrap in Master Pack – MAP fresh meat • Stabilizes meat pigment • Form & Fill Vacuum Package – fresh or frozen meat, processed meats • Reduces microbial growth • Modified Atmosphere Package – fresh meat, processed meats • Highest cost • Tray Fill – MAP fresh meat, MAP processed meats Meat Packaging Types Packaging Materials – Chubs HD PlasNc Film • Butcher Paper, waxed – frozen meat Eliminate O 2 • PlasOc under-wrap/Butcher Paper over-wrap – frozen meat • Not vacuumized • Tray Over-wrap – fresh meat • Interior quickly becomes • Vacuum package – fresh or frozen meat, processed meats anaerobic due to O 2 consumpOon by muscle metabolic acOviOes • Tray Over-wrap in Master Pack – fresh meat • Very fast fill & seal rates • Form & Fill Vacuum Package – fresh or frozen meat, processed meats • Very durable film • Modified Atmosphere Package – fresh meat, processed meats • Tray Fill – MAP fresh meat, MAP processed meats • Cannot see product • Chubs – ground beef • Used for ground meat products 2017 Range Beef Cow Symposium, Cheyenne, Wyo. 7

Warrie Means, Un. of Wyoming 11/28/17 2017 Range Beef Cow Symposium, Cheyenne, Wyo. 8

Warrie Means, Un. of Wyoming 11/28/17 QUESTIONS 2017 Range Beef Cow Symposium, Cheyenne, Wyo. 9