Enhancing the shelf life of minced beef with sumac extract

Abstract

The present study investigated the effect of Sumac Water Extract (SWE) on microbial growth and chemical changes in minced meat during refrigerated storage. Therefore, SWE used at three concentrations (4, 5, and 6%) to determine their effect on the sensory attributes, chemical parameters (pH, total volatile nitrogen, and thiobarbituric acid), and bacteriological status including total bacterial count, Enterobacteriaceae count, total staphylococcus count of minced meat stored at 4°C for 12 days. The study's results suggest that incorporating different concentrations of SWE improved the sensory attributes of the treated minced meat samples compared to the control samples. Furthermore, the use of SWE with different concentrations led to a decrease in pH, TVN, and TBA values in the treated minced meat as compared to the control group. Among the different concentrations tested, the 6% concentration of SWE exhibited the most significant impact on improving the sensory, chemical, and bacterial quality, surpassing the effects observed with the 4 and 5% concentrations. Consequently, the study concluded that the utilization of SWE as a natural antioxidant and antibacterial preservative for refrigerated minced meat could prolong its shelf life for up to 12 days, in contrast to the control group, which became spoiled completely within 6 days.