Efficacy of Various Preservatives on Extending Shelf Life of Vacuum-Packaged Raw Pork during 4°C Storage

ABSTRACT Uncontrolled bacterial growth and metabolic activities are responsible for the short shelf life of raw pork. Culture-independent analysis by 16S ribosome cDNA could reveal viable bacteria in raw pork. This study investigated microbial growth and volatile organic compounds of raw pork supplemented with various preservatives. Vacuum-packaged raw pork was stored at 4°C, after soaking in solutions of potassium sorbate, e-poly-l-lysine, kojic acid (KA), or sodium diacetate, individually. Spoilage of raw pork was monitored by determining pH and total volatile basic nitrogen, whereas bacterial growth was determined by culture-dependent and culture-independent analyses. Data indicated that all the preservatives were able to inhibit bacterial growth and extend the shelf life of pork. High-throughput sequencing of 16S ribosome cDNA indicated that Pseudomonas was inhibited under vacuum conditions, whereas facultative anaerobes (Acinetobacter, Photobacterium, Brochothrix, and Myroides) were the most active g...