Avaliação da vida de prateleira e da qualidade de amostras de carne bovina resfriada embaladas à vácuo pelo período de 120 dias

Abstract

Brazil is one of the most important beef producers in the world, production in 2019 was 1.84 million tons, which generated revenue of US $ 7.59 billion, this represents about 3% of exports from the country. There is a growing demand for the external trade of chilled meat, due to its freshness and maintenance of the characteristics mainly of tenderness and juiciness, however, today, the usual shelf life for these cuts is around 90 days. For beef chilled vacuum-packed this period is considered short, considering slaughter, processing, transport to the buyer country until exposure in the consumer market. In this way, knowing the microbial dynamics and chemical physics in vacuumpacked meat cuts in order to increasing shelf life, enables the reduction of commercial losses due to deterioration and can be a way to technically support companies willing to trade chilled beef for export. Thus, the aim of this work was to carry out the study of the shelf life of chilled cuts of beef in the period of 120 days, through the evaluation of physical chemical and microbiological analyzes. The evaluated cuts were chuck and topside. Six pieces with an average weight of 1 kg were sent to the external laboratory, these were sent in pairs to the accredited lab by MAPA in the period’s: 3, 45, 70, 90, 110 and 120 days. The physicochemical characteristics evaluated were titratable acidity, pH and peroxide index; and microbiological ones: count of thermotolerant coliforms, Clostridium Sulphite reducer; Salmonella spp. research, Standard Count of Aerobic mesophiles Microorganisms and count of coagulase-positive Staphylococcus. The physical-chemical analyzes performed indicated that all samples presented results within the standards according to the available literature and within the pH standards according to national legislation. There is no specification described in official regulations for the others analyzed physical-chemical parameters analyzed. The microbiological analyzes showed results within the standards established by the legislation when applicable and the thermotolerant microorganisms showed results within the standards by the previous legislation in force, since the current RDC No. 331 of December 23, 2019 does not determine specific values for this group of micro - organisms, as well as for the counting of positive coagulase Staphylococcus, which also showed results within the parameters of the legislation previously in force. National legislation is deficient in terms of acceptable or unacceptable tolerance specifications for many microorganisms in food.