**Cooling Meat and Its Packaging Technologies**
Cooling meat refers to the process where livestock and poultry carcasses are quickly processed after slaughter under strict quarantine systems, ensuring that the temperature of the carcass (measured at the hind leg) remains between 0°C and 4°C within 24 hours. Throughout processing, distribution, and retail, the meat is kept in a controlled environment below 4°C. This continuous cooling allows for a full aging process, resulting in less moisture loss, a tender texture, better flavor, and higher nutritional value compared to hot or frozen meat. As a result, it has gained widespread consumer acceptance. Developed countries started producing and promoting cooled meat in the 1920s and 1930s, and now over 90% of raw meat consumed globally is cooled meat. In China, cooled meat is becoming an inevitable trend in the fresh meat market.
Extending the shelf life of cooling meat is crucial for its development. The main causes of spoilage include microbial growth, enzymatic activity, and oxidation. To prevent these, good hygiene practices during slaughter and processing are essential. Appropriate preservation methods should be used to slow down or delay these processes.
Packaging plays a vital role in preserving fresh meat. Its primary functions include inhibiting microbial growth, preventing secondary contamination, slowing fat oxidation, and improving product appearance and market competitiveness.
One common method is vacuum packaging (VP). By removing air from the package, it reduces oxygen levels, maintaining the meat’s color by keeping myoglobin in a reduced state. When the meat is removed from the bag, it quickly regains its bright red color. Vacuum packaging also prevents contamination, reduces weight loss due to dehydration, and inhibits aerobic bacteria, thus extending the shelf life. In China, three types of vacuum packaging are commonly used: shrink-wrapped bags for cut meats, thermoformed boxes with vacuum-sealed lids, and vacuum body packaging widely used in Europe. Some studies have combined vacuum packaging with brighteners to enhance preservation effects.
Another technique is modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), where the air inside the package is replaced with a selected gas mixture to inhibit microbial growth. Common gases used include COâ‚‚, which effectively suppresses bacteria and fungi, especially in early stages, and Nâ‚‚, which acts as an inert filler to prevent oxidation and mold growth. Oxygen levels are often adjusted based on the desired color retention and bacterial control. High-oxygen MAP maintains a bright red color, while low-oxygen MAP focuses on bacterial inhibition. Studies show that modified atmosphere packaging with COâ‚‚ and oxygen can significantly extend the shelf life of pork compared to vacuum or air packaging.
Adding carbon monoxide (CO) to modified atmosphere packaging helps form more stable carbon monoxide myoglobin, maintaining the meat's bright red color. Research indicates that such packaging outperforms vacuum or other high-gas packages without CO. Domestic studies on cooled pork have shown that CO-containing packaging not only maintains color stability but also effectively inhibits spoilage bacteria like Pseudomonas and Clostridium thermoclabilis.
As cooled meat becomes the mainstream in the global meat market, advanced packaging and sales strategies are becoming increasingly important. Effective and reasonable packaging will play a key role in the future development of the cooled meat industry.
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