Effect of Modified Atmosphere Packaging and Storage Time on Physical and Sensory Properties of Sliced Salami

The objective of this study was to investigate the quality properties of sliced and modified atmosphere-packaged salami during refrigerated storage. Salami was sliced and packaged under air and three modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) compositions (100% N2; 50% CO2, 50% N2; 5% O2, 25% CO2, 70% N2) in polypropylene trays sealed with polyethylene terepthalate/polyvinylidene chloride/oriented polypropylene. Headspace oxygen and carbon dioxide (%), physical (color and texture), chemical (pH) and sensory properties were analyzed for 20 days at 4C. The results showed that CO2 concentration (%) decreased after 5 days of storage for MAP applications with high CO2, which was attributed to the solubility of CO2 in the salami. The pH did not significantly change during storage at all applications (P > 0.05). While L values increased, a and b values decreased during storage. The MAP applications with no oxygen received higher panelist scores and provided better quality characteristics than air and 5% O2, 25% CO2, 70% N2 for 15 days. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Nowadays, consumers demand for safe, nutritious and ready-to-eat/use food products. The use of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) for ready-to-eat/use meat products has considerably increased in recent years. Salami that are sliced and packaged in smaller portions could attract consumers interested in individual portions at supermarkets. Although optimization of gas composition is critical to ensure the product's quality and safety, only a few studies have focused on the preservation of meat products like salami. Atmospheres with no oxygen could be used for MAP of sliced salami as color, textural and sensory properties were preserved better than atmospheres with oxygen. Previous studies stated that vacuum packaging did not inhibit microbial growth; however, MAP with CO2 was found effective on microorganisms due to its bacteriostatic effect. Therefore, MAP packaging of sliced salami would be a better option than vacuum packaging.