ResumenEl objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar la vida útil de cortes cárnicos envasados al vacío y almacenados a 0°C y 4°C. Se evaluaron parámetros fisicoquímicos (pH, porcentaje de Drip, rancidez por Kreiss), aspecto del corte (estado del envase, color del corte, grasa, olor); y aspectos microbiológicos (recuentos en placa de bacterias aerobias mesófilas, enterobacterias, Escherichia coli, coliformes totales, bacterias ácido lácticas) en cortes de bife y picaña durante 5 meses.En los cortes almacenados a 4°C se observaron alteraciones fisicoquímicas y de aspecto en el tercer mes (pH <5.4, perdida de vacío y presencia de olores ácidos); mientras que a 0°C no se percibieron alteraciones hasta el quinto mes. Por otro lado, no se observó crecimiento significativo para E.coli ni coliformes totales durante el periodo en estudio.El almacenamiento de cortes envasados al vacío y mantenidos a 0°C contribuye a la calidad del producto, y mantiene sus características fisicoquímicas y sensoriales en condiciones comercialmente aceptables durante cuatro meses, permitiendo su transporte hasta destinos distantes.
Palabras clave: envasado al vacío, vida útil, carnes envasadas
AbstractThe aim of this work was to determine the shelf life of vacuum-packed eat cuts and stored to 0ºC and 4ºC. There were evaluated physicochemical parameters (pH, Drip percentage, rancidity by Kreiss), cut appearance (state of container, color of the cut, fat, smell); and microbiological aspects (Plate counts of aerobic mesophilic bacteria, enterobacteriaceace, Escherichia coli, total coliforms, lactic acid bacteria) in cuts of beef and cattle prod during 5 months.In the cuts stored at 4ºC, there were observed psychochemical and appearance changes during the third month (pH <5.4, loss of vacuum and existence of sour odor); whereas at 0ºC, there were not perceived changes until the fifth month. On the other hand, there was not observed any meaningful growth neither to E. coli nor to the total coliforms during the study period.The storage of vacuum-packed cuts and kept at 0ºC contributes to the quality of the product, and keeps its psychochemical and sensory features in commercially acceptable conditions during four months, allowing its shipping to away destinations.