Thermoforming Vacuum Packaging Influences Fresh Pork Loin Chop Characteristics.
Brooks W Nichols, Gabriela M Bernardez-Morales, Savannah L Douglas, Gabriella F Johnson, Ricardo J Barrazueta-Cordero, Aeriel D Belk, Jase J Ball, Jason T Sawyer
Author Information
Brooks W Nichols: Department of Animal Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA. ORCID
Gabriela M Bernardez-Morales: Department of Animal Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA. ORCID
Savannah L Douglas: Department of Animal Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA. ORCID
Gabriella F Johnson: Department of Animal Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA. ORCID
Ricardo J Barrazueta-Cordero: Department of Animal Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA.
Aeriel D Belk: Department of Animal Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA. ORCID
Jase J Ball: Department of Animal Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA. ORCID
Jason T Sawyer: Department of Animal Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA. ORCID
The storage duration of fresh meat products is a contributing factor leading to increased waste and loss at the retail counter. Losses of fresh pork can be linked to packaging methods that do not protect the attributes of color, taste, and odors consumers use in determining wholesome meat. Boneless pork loins (N = 63) were fabricated into 2.54-cm-thick chops and assigned to one of three vacuum treatments (VacA, VacB, VacC) or a fourth polyvinyl chloride overwrap (PVC) treatment to assess objective fresh color, cook loss, Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), and lipid oxidation. Pork chops (n = 882) were evaluated at 5-day intervals (D 0, 5, 10, 15) in a randomized complete block design. Pork chop surface color was lighter (L*; < 0.0001) when stored in a vacuum compared to PVC-packaged loin chops, regardless of storage duration. Redness (a*) values were greater ( < 0.0001) for loin chops stored in PVC than all other vacuum packaging treatments throughout the entire 15-day display period. Relative values for chroma on PVC-packaged loin chops were greater ( < 0.0001) throughout the simulated retail display period. An interaction of day and packaging treatment ( < 0.0343) occurred for WBSF. Lipid oxidation for pork chops packaged using PVC was significantly greater ( < 0.0001) from Day 10 through the completion of the storage period. Results indicate that vacuum packaging limits the deterioration of fresh pork loin chops, whereas traditional overwrapping expedites the color and lipid oxidation during refrigerated storage.
