Storage Stability of Chicken as Affected by Map and Lactic Acid Treatment

The effects of MAP and/or pretreatment with lactic acid buffer were studied on the shelf‐life of broiler carcasses, under conditions simulating market storage (4 and 7°C) in the State of Kuwait. Pretreatment with lactic acid buffer increased treated carcass shelf‐life by 6–7 days when stored at 4°C and 5–6 days at 7°C. Likewise, pretreatment of MAP carcasses with the same buffer extended the shelf‐life to >36 and 35 days, compared with 22 and 13 days for the untreated MAP carcasses. Pretreatment of poultry with lactic acid buffer, with or without MAP, provides a potential alternative for improving the storage quality of poultry.