Meat products are highly vulnerable to surface contamination with pathogens like Listeria, Salmonella and E.cloi, in spite of all precautions taken by the processor. Meat products are amongst the most frequently recalled processed products from the market. Such contamination can occur in the slaughter house or processing area or storage rooms or during transportation and distribution. Though gamma ray radiation the microbial load can be controlled easily but irradiation is yet to be approved because of the apprehension that bad quality meat will find its way to the market to the detriment of the consumer.
"Natural plant chemicals have been found to be effective, if incorporated into edible films used for packing the products. Tests showed that the two plant-derived antimicrobials, carvacrol and cinnamaldehyde, inactivated pathogenic bacteria on contaminated chicken breast and cooked ham. They could also be used for other contaminated food products such as seafood, say the researchers. The results suggest that the food industry and consumers could use these films as wrappings to control surface contamination by foodborne pathogenic microorganisms. So incorporating antimicrobials into edible films could serve as barrier for surface-contaminating microorganisms in a range of meat products".
Though the results point out to a possible way to cut down contamination in meat, the practical aspects need more careful scrutiny. Probably the apple film making is a patented technology and as such its availability is a limiting factor. How far apple film can with stand handling during wrapping also is uncertain. Whether the sharp aroma of the plant material used will get transferred to the meat is another imponderable factor. More work can be expected from this group in utilizing their findings by the trade eventually.
V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com
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