Microbial growth and shelf-life study on pork loins by the application of different antimicrobials

The objective of the study was to determine the impact of antimicrobials on the microbial growth of indicator bacteria on pork loins dark storage time and determine the shelf-life of sensory characteristics of chops under display cooler conditions. Boneless loins (n = 12) were split in five sections and each section was treated with any of the antimicrobials [Water (WAT), Bovibrom 225ppm (BB225), Bovibrom 500ppm (BB500), Fit Fresh 3ppm (FF3) or Washing Solution 750ppm (WS750)]. Sections were then distributed to any of the four dark storage times (1Day, 14 Days, 28Days or 42Days). Then, sections were cut into chops and displayed in a retail case for 96h. Mesophilic and psychrotrophic aerobic plate counts (APC-M, APC-P), mesophilic lactic acid bacteria (LAB-M) and coliforms counts were performed before and after treatment application, at the end of each dark storage time, and at 0h, 48h, and 96h of retail case display. Instrumental and visual color analyses were performed every 12h during the retail case display time. WS750 increased counts after intervention for APC-M, APC-P and coliforms (P < 0.01). BB500, FF3, and WS750 performed better inhibiting the growth of indicator bacteria under 6 log until 42 days of dark storage, both for sections and chops. For L*, a*, b*, hue, chroma, lean color, fat color and % discoloration, WS750 had the lowest stability in color, followed by BB500, BB225. FF3 presented the best stability for color during storage. PC analysis clustered initial dark storage days with a* and chroma while % discoloration, hue, b* and microorganisms where clustered with longer dark storage times. In general, treatment FF3 presented the best performance, both in inhibiting microbial growth and maintaining the stability of color, thus increasing the shelf-life of pork loins.