Evaluation of Microbiological Quality of Minced Beef Meat Coated with Chitosan Containing Garlic Esential Oil during Refrigerated Storage

Abstract

The human population needs high requirements of protein which could get from red meat including mutton and beef. Beef meat is more inclined to spoilage because of high water content, suitable substrate for microbial growth. Beef meat can be preserved to enhance their shelf life by using naturally derived preservatives like chitosan and essential oils in forming edible coatings. In this study we used chitosan coating with garlic essential oil emulsion to inhibit bacterial growth in minced beef meat. We divided minced beef meat into three groups, one with chitosan coating supplemented with 0.5% garlic essential oil (G0.5) and second with chitosan coating supplemented with 1% garlic essential oil (G1) and third group with chitosan coating is control group (C). After microbiological analysis it was found that the initial total psychrophilic bacteria count was 1.91log CFU/g in beef meat which increased to 7.04 log CFU/g in C group while 5.99 log CFU/g and 5.24 log CFU/g in G0.5 and G1 respectively at the end of storage. Total mesophilic bacteria count was 2.27log CFU/g at the beginning of storage which increased to 7.33, 6.07 and 5.44 log CFU/g in C, G0.5 and G1 respectively at the end of the storage. Similarly Total Enterobacteriaceae count was found to be 1.59 log CFU/g at the beginning of the storage, which increased to 4.77, 3.78 and 3.26 log CFU/g in the C, G0.5 and G1 respectively. These results presented that G1 has less bacterial growth overall which proves that 1% garlic essential oil with chitosan coating could be good for decreasing bacterial growth in minced beef meat products for long time preservation.