Extension of Pork Sausage Shelf Life Using Modified Atmosphere Packaging

Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), using 0.4% carbon monoxide(CO) and 99.6% carbon dioxide(CO2), for fresh pork sausage products can be a useful tool to extend product shelf life. Color retention, reduction in lipid oxidation rates and total microbial loads are positive contributions to an extended shelf life. Pre-rigor pork sausage in MAP resulted in greater shelf life improvement in terms of color retention than post-rigor pork sausage in MAP. The MAP packaging resulted in superior color life for both pre-rigor and post-rigor sausage compared with the control samples in conventional packaging. Increased purge was observed in the MAP packaging in comparison to the control, which was the only negative attribute observed for the MAP treatment