Meat+Poultry - March 2021 - 50

MAXIMUM SHELF LIFE.
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Providing meat packaging
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It's at the heart of what we do best.
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MANAGING MOISTURE
Most spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms thrive
in the presence of free water. This is why meat and
poultry processors are in the " moisture management "
business. They are trying to control the natural
moisture that's found in lean meats and the added
water in processed meat items.
" Salts - both sodium chloride and potassium salt
- are key to these efforts. Salts help unfold animal
proteins and enable them to hold both forms of
water, " Katen said. " We also look to water-holding
compounds, like starches, non-meat proteins and
hydrocolloids, to help tie up water during processing
and in finished packaged form.
" Salt acts as a preservative by altering the activity
of water in foods, thereby depriving microbes from
using available water as a nutrient, " Katen said.
" That means the growth of pathogens and spoilage
organisms is impeded when salt is present. "
In reduced-sodium applications, processors can
replace salt (sodium chloride) with potassium salt by
up to 50% in certain applications, without impacting
food safety. Similar to sodium chloride, potassium
salt also controls microbial growth by decreasing
water activity, limiting the ability of microorganisms
to grow and reproduce.
" Potassium salt can also be an additional source
of potassium, an under-consumed nutrient that is
known to counter the effect of sodium on blood
pressure, " Katen said.

ADDING ANTIMICROBIALS
To help prevent microbial growth, meat and poultry
processors often incorporate antimicrobials. There
are traditional and clean-label options, with selection
influenced by marketing language, shelf-life goals,
and of course, price.
Organic acid salts, such as acetic acid, lactic
acid and propionic acid are the most common
traditional preservatives. They are often used in a
buffered or neutralized format (with a conjugate
base). Their mode of action is the same, but their
effectiveness varies by the organic acid, specifically
the amount of undissociated or non-ionized acid. It
is the undissociated acid that penetrates microbial
cell walls. Once inside the microorganism, where
the pH is near or above neutral, the acid dissociates,
lowering the pH. The pathogens and spoilage
microorganisms encountered in the meat and
poultry processing and distribution environment are
pH-sensitive; thus, this change in pH impairs or stops
growth. Further, the anionic parts of the organic acid,
which are the negatively charged ions, remaining in

Kerry

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Meat+Poultry - March 2021

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