SHELF LIFE
Shelf life is the length of period the product may be stored without becoming unsuitable for consumption, remaining useful and renewed. This explain it might base on whether a commodity should no longer be on pantry or no longer on a supermarket shelf. Shelf life apply to most of things we use, such as pharmaceutical drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, perishable items, and last but not least food.
Meat also have their on shelf life. In some regions, an advisory best before, mandatory use by, or freshness date is required on packaged perishable foods. But now we want to focus on the self life meat after being slaughter.
Meat spoilage
In air, aerobic bacteria predominate on meat. If nitrogen containing compounds for instance…show more content… However, in order to prevent wholesomeness, appearance, composition, tenderness, flavor, juiciness and nutritive value, new methods were developed. These included: cooling, freezing and chemical preservation. Wide range of physical and chemical reactions and actions of microorganisms or enzymes are responsible for the meat spoilage. Microbial growth, oxidation and enzymatic autolysis are three basic mechanisms responsible for spoilage of meat. Microbial growth and metabolism depends on various factors including: pre-slaughter husbandry practices, age of the animal at the time of slaughtering, handling during slaughtering, evisceration and processing, temperature controls during slaughtering, processing and distribution, preservation methods, type of packaging and handling and storage by consumer. Microbial spoilage causes pH change, slime formation, structural components degradation, off odors and appearance change. Autoxidation of lipids and the production of free radicals are natural processes which affect fatty acids and lead to oxidative deterioration of meat and off-flavour development. Lipid hydrolysis can take place enzymatically or non-enzymatically in meat. In muscle cells of slaughtered animals, enzymatic actions are taken place naturally and they act as catalysts for chemical reactions that…show more content… Basically, they are usually catalyzed by enzymes which change reaction rates, but with no variation in catalytic action, the rule of thumb is still mostly applicable. In the case of bacteria and fungi, the reactions needed to feed and reproduce speed up at higher temperatures, up to the point that the proteins and other compounds in their cells themselves begin to break down, or denature, so quickly that they cannot be replaced. This is why high temperatures kill bacteria and other microorganisms: 'tissue' breakdown reactions reach such rates that they cannot be compensated for and the cell dies. On the other hand, 'elevated' temperatures short of these result in increased growth and reproduction; if the organism is harmful, perhaps to dangerous