Proper storage of left-over meat in a household refrigerator is important for extending its shelf-life and assuring its safety until it is next used. Various fresh meat packaging methods were examined to determine their effects on the quality characteristics of pork loins during household storage at 5 o C. The packaging methods include 1) wrapping in a polyethylene pouch (WP), 2) keeping in an air-tight plastic container (CP), and 3) using a household vacuum packaging machine (VP). The fastest increase in total aerobic bacteria during storage occurred in the WP samples, followed by the CP and VP samples. The count of Pseudomonas spp. was found to be lowest in the VP, and then the CP and WP samples. Enterobacteriaceae grew fastest in the WP samples, followed by the CP and VP samples. The WP samples also incurred the most significant increase in thiobarbituric acids and volatile basic nitrogen values over the storage period, as compared to the CP and VP samples. Off-odour at 30 min after opening the package, was first notable at day 11 in WP samples, but only at day 15 in the CP and VP samples. The colour also deteriorated earlier in the WP samples than in the CP and VP samples.

This study aimed at investigating the quality changes of Yukwa during storage using the various item packaging methods present in the domestic market. The samples consisted of a self-adhesive-oriented polypropylene (OPP) film pouch (P1), a heat-sealed OPP film pouch (P2), and a polystyrene (PS) tray with a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) lid (P3). These were stored at 25℃ up to eight weeks. Throughout the storage period, the acid values of all the study samples remained under the Korean hygiene regulation limit of 2.0 mg KOH/g. The P2 samples showed both the slowest decrease in water content and the slowest increase in hardness value during storage. Sensory evaluation also showed that the P2 samples were the only ones that maintained their market value of 5.0 throughout the eight-week assessment period.