Assessment of quality and safety of pork treated with low-temperature atmospheric-pressure plasma

It is known that processing methods ensuring partial or full microbial inactivation are quite limited. Therefore, it is of great interest to develop technique and technologies allowing the effective action on microorganisms without a significant influence on product properties. The use of cold plasma can be one of the promising methods of meat product treatment by cold sterilization. The present work examines a possibility of chilled meat treatment with low-temperature atmospheric-pressure plasma to increase its stability to microbial spoilage and extend shelf life. To obtain low temperature plasma, the equipment developed by the designing department “Plasmamed” was used. Chilled meat was treated with low-temperature atmospheric-pressure argon plasma for 5, 10, 20 and 30 min. Samples were stored at a temperature of 2–4 °C for 10 days. Organoleptic indices, moisture weight fraction, changes in pH and water activity were analyzed before treatment and during storage. Sanitary microbiological analyses were carried out by the following indicators: quantity of mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms (QMAFAnM), the presence and quantity of coliforms, Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Proteus. It was shown that meat cold treatment with argon plasma inhibited the development of mesophilic microorganisms. The colony forming units detected in the samples after ten days of storage were determined by the duration of exposure to plasma. It was proved that meat treatment for 15 and 30 min had the bactericidal effect and facilitated an improvement in meat color during storage. The organoleptic indices of the samples treated with plasma corresponded to the requirements of standards and approved consumer characteristics.