Abstract:The effect of casein/hsian-tsao composite film on the quality of fresh pork during cold storage was investigated in this study. Changes in the content of total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) value, color (L*, a*, b*, and ΔE values), toughness, and the total number of colonies during storage at (4 ± 1) ℃ were measured for all samples subjected to different treatments (no film, casein film, and hsian-tsao gum/casein composite film) for preservation. The results indicated that the quality of pork packaged with hsian-tsao gum/casein composite films was better than that packaged in the other two groups. The values of TVB-N and TBARS as well as the number of bacterial colonies on the pork treated with hsian-tsao gum/casein composite films and stored for ten days at 4 ℃ still met the standards for fresh pork. The preservation times of pork treated with composite films were extended by 2 and 4 days, compared to those in the casein film and control groups, respectively. These results indicate that the addition of hsian-tsao gum can effectively increase the antimicrobial and antioxidant capacities of casein edible films. The use of hsian-tsao gum/casein composite films for packaging pork can effectively control the changes in TVB-N and TBARS values, color, and toughness, slow the fat oxidation process, increase the total number of bacterial colonies on the pork during storage, enhance pork quality during cold storage, and extend the shelf-life of pork.
