This study aimed to investigate the effects of dry aging on the quality of pork loin. Longissimus lumborum muscles were dissected from the right half of five pork carcasses and were used as the control samples. The left halves of the carcasses were aged at 2±1℃ and a relative humidity of 80% for 40 d. The total aerobic bacteria count was similar between the control and dry-aged pork loin (p>0.05). Lactic-acid bacteria was absent in both the control and dry-aged pork loins. Dry-aged pork loin contained low moisture and high protein and ash compared to the controls (p<0.05). The pH was higher and cooking loss was lower in dry-aged pork loin compared to that in the control (p<0.05). Flavor related compounds, such as total free amino acid, hypoxanthine, and inosine of pork loin were higher in dry-aged pork loin; whereas, inosine 5'-monophosphate and guanosine 5'-monophosphate were low in dry-aged pork loin than control (p<0.05). There was no difference in carnosine and anserine content between dry-aged pork loin and the control (p>0.05). Dry-aged pork loin had lower hardness and shear force and received higher core in sensory evaluation than the control (p<0.05). According to the results, dry aging improved textural and sensorial quality of pork loin.

Novel, effective methods to control and prevent spoilage and contamination by pathogenic microorganisms in meat and meat products are in constant demand. Non-thermal pasteurization is an ideal method for the preservation of meat and meat products because it does not use heat during the pasteurization process. Atmospheric pressure cold plasma (APCP) is a new technology for the non-thermal pasteurization of meat and meat products. Several recent studies have shown that APCP treatment reduces the number of pathogenic microorganisms in meat and meat products. Furthermore, APCP treatment can be used to generate nitrite, which is an essential component of the curing process. Here, we introduce the effectiveness of APCP treatment as a pasteurization method and/or curing process for use in the meat and meat product processing industry.

This study investigated the effects of Perilla frutescens var. acuta water extract (WEP) on the shelf life and physicochemical qualities of cooked beef patties. The WEP contained phenolic compounds (80.65 mg gallic acid equivalents/g) and had half-maximal effective concentrations of 0.437 and 4.509 mg/mL for scavenging of DPPH and ABTS+ radicals, respectively. Treatment with 0.6% WEP inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (p<0.05). Based on the result of the antioxidative potential and antimicrobial potential of WEP, beef patties were prepared with three treatment groups: (1) beef patties without added antioxidant (control); (2) beef patties with 0.02% ʟ-ascorbic acid (BAA); and (3) beef patties with 0.6% WEP (BWEP). The pH and cooking loss of BWEP were lower and higher than those in the control, respectively (p<0.05). When cooked beef patties were stored for 21 d at 4℃, the total number of aerobic bacteria in BWEP was lower than those in the control on all days except day 14 (p<0.05). The TBARS values in BWEP were lower than those of controls on days 7, 14, and 21 (p<0.05). Compared to control and BAA, BWEP had lower L* and b* values and higher a* values throughout the storage period (p<0.05). Except on day 0, acceptability was higher in BWEP than in control and BAA (p<0.05). According to results, WEP can be used as a natural ingredient that improves the shelf life and sensorial qualities of meat products.