Quality Changes of Beef Steaks Stored in Controlled Gas Atmospheres Containing High or Low Levels of Oxygen 1, 2

Abstract

Steaks from bovine Longissimus and Semimembranosus muscles were used to determine the influence of gas atmospheres on beef color, microbial growth and shrinkage during 9 days of retail display in two separate experimental trials. Steaks were displayed in one of four gas mixtures and were compared to steaks packaged under conventional vacuum and in a film wrap. Gas mixtures containing O₂ levels of 10% (one-half ambient) did not maintain a bright red color, but those with 40-75% O₂ (more than twice ambient) maintained acceptable color for 9 days of storage. Atmosphere stored steaks lost more moisture (P<0.05) than vacuum-packaged steaks. Psychrotrophic and mesophilic microbial counts from steaks stored 9 days in atmospheres containing 15% CO₂ were lower (P<0.05) than the counts for the control steaks.