| Congresso Brasileiro de Microbiologia 2023 | Resumo: 903-1 | ||||
Resumo:Brazil is recognized as the largest beef exporter in the world. However, there are many economic losses related to deterioration caused by failures in the handling and slaughter of animals, as well as abuses related to temperature along the cold chain in farm-to-fork processing. The use of emerging technologies has been widely discussed to improve food quality, in addition to bringing a sustainable approach, increasingly demanded by conscious consumers. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of cold plasma technology on the reduction of the initial microbiota on the surface of sirloin steak. The plasma system used was of the DBD (Dielectric Barrier Discharge) type, coupled to two electrodes coated with epoxy resin (15 kVp; 130 kHz). The meat steaks (100 g) were exposed to plasma directly and indirectly, at a distance of 6 and 12 cm from the surface of the meat. The exposure time was: 30 seconds, 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 minutes. Microbiological (lactic acid bacteria, total mesophiles, enterobacteria, and Escherichia coli) and physicochemical (color, lipid oxidation, pH, Aw) analyses were performed. The indirect application of cold plasma, with a distance of 12 cm from the electrode to the surface of the meat, promoted an average reduction of approximately 0.6 log in the count of indicator microorganisms, with up to 6 minutes of application. After this period, there was an increase in the microbial population (less than the initial load). In the other treatments, with direct application and a distance of 6 cm, as well as with an electrode coated with acrylic resin, the count of microorganisms remained almost constant, with decimal reduction values close to zero, except for E. coli/i>, which obtained an average value of 1.58 decimal reduction after 24 minutes of exposure to cold plasma. In general, the physical-chemical characteristics with indirect application (at 6 and 12 cm away from the sample) remained similar to those of the control, with up to 12 minutes of exposure. There was an exception about lipid oxidation, which varied between treatments, with no trend. It is concluded that the application of plasma can help in the conservation of vacuum-packed meat and improve the quality of the final product. Palavras-chave: Emerging technologies, meat quality, cold plasma, meat microbiology Agência de fomento:FAPESP (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo) | |||||