The effect of package leakage on the shelf-life of modified atmosphere packed minced meat steaks and its detection

The effect of leaking on the quality and leak detection in modified atmosphere packages of chilled minced meat steaks were studied. Leaks of various sizes were made experimentally with tungsten thread and packages were stored for 5 weeks at +5°C or +10°C.
The results indicated that the microbial counts in minced meat steaks increased with increasing leak size at the storage temperature of +5°C, but not at +10°C, where temperature became a more important factor for microbial growth than the rate of the leakage studied.
At both temperatures, the sensory quality of minced meat steaks was better maintained in packages with capillary leaks the diameter and length of which were 69 and 3000 μm and 169 μm and 3000 μm, respectively, than in intact packages or in packages with capillary or pinhole leaks the diameter and length of which were 270 and 3000 μm or 65 and 70 μm, respectively.
The packages stored at +10°C contained a coloured redox indicator, which was very useful and reliable in the monitoring of those leaking packages which were poor in quality.