The combined effect of vacuum-skin packaging and oxygen absorbers on the color stability and physicochemical properties of wet-aged Chikso beef

Beef discoloration during wet aging is mainly attributed to deoxymyoglobin or metmyoglobin accumulation. We applied advanced packaging methods including vacuum-skin packaging, oxygen absorbers, and their combination to maintain color stability and physicochemical attributes of Chikso beef during aging. Meat blocks from semimembranosus muscle were assigned to a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement that involved two packaging types (conventional vacuum packaging and vacuum-skin packaging) and the presence of oxygen absorbers (exclusion or inclusion) inside a package. After packaging, samples were wet-aged for 28 days. Addition of oxygen absorbers significantly increased beef color stability. Vacuum-skin packaging significantly increased metmyoglobin reducing activity and retarded lipid oxidation of beef. Moreover, their combination significantly prevented visual beef discoloration evaluated by panelists. Therefore, combination of these two packaging technologies could be effective in maintaining color stability and physicochemical attributes of Chikso beef during aging.