Physicochemical and microbiological analysis of goose meat

Temperature plays a crucial role in the storage of meat. Low temperature effectively slows down the growth rate of microorganisms and enzymatic activity that causes meat spoilage. Frozen storage of meat allows consumers to choose meat’s date of consumption during storage without losing its sensory quality. This work is committed to the effects of freezing and refrigeration on quality and safety of food. The study aims to determine whether different frozen storage temperatures and duration affect the quality of raw goose meat and its processing characteristics after thawing. This information could be a valuable contribution to the scientific literature concerning storage of meat. The focus was on goose meat and sausages. The meat was frozen in three independent runs for 3 and 6 months at -20°C and -70°C. The thawed meat was subjected to physicochemical and microbiological analyses and then turned into raw sausages. Frozen meat sausages showed significantly higher thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values after 2 and 4 weeks of the experiment, compared to the control group. Frozen storage also reduced the growth of Pseudomonas spp. and Enterobacteriaceae for all storage temperatures. Findings of the present study could be used to preserve quality and taste of products during meat processing.