Quebra de peso das carcaças suínas e estudo da vida de prateleira da carne

Abstract

The chilling process of pig carcasses is one of great relevant aspect of the final meat quality. Therefore, to reduce weight loss and to increase the shelf life of the pig meat, two distinct experiments were designed in a chilling chamber. In the first experiment, pig carcasses were spray-chilling with water in a differences time, during 17 hours at the chilling chamber and the percentage of weight loss was evaluated. In the second experiment, it was studied the spray-chilling aspersion with organic acid solutions with differences concentrations during the cold storage. Mesophyllic and psychrotrophic aerobic microorganisms counts, total and fecal coliforms enumeration, pH and lipidic oxidation determination and sensorial analyses were evaluated. In the first experiment, the chilling process using water spray by intermittent times of 60/20 seconds whith aspersor on/off, was the smallest indexes of weight loss without interfere on apparent and microbiological pig carcass quality. In the second experiment the treatment with organic acid solution constituted by 1% of acid lactic, 0,80% of ascorbic acid, 1% of citric acid and 1% of acetic acid showed an expressive microbiological control (reduction of 3 logarithmic cycles) when compared to the meat cuts control (p<0,05), as well as the smallest pH indexes and a significant lipidic oxidation control, at the end of 14 days of storage. The sensorial characteristics of the raw pig meat and the cooked ones did not suffer alterations. Therefore, new propositions was established to the industry by decreasing the percentage of weight loss and to increasing the pig meat shelf-life. This way, safely products with desired quality can be offer to the consumer.