Two experiments were conducted with 32 Charolais cross steers (experiment 1) and 36 Holstein-Friesian and Welsh Black steers (experiment 2) to examine the effects of dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA ) and breed on meat quality. Diets were comprised of grass silage and a concentrate (60 : 40 on a dry-matter basis). Lipid in the concentrate provided 30 g/kg diet dry matter derived from either linseed, fish oil or linseed/fish oil (experiment 1); and linseed or linseed/fish oil (experiment 2). These n-3 PUFA sources were compared with Megalac, a saturated fatty acid control, in both experiments. Diets were offered for 120 days (experiment 1) and 90 days (experiment 2). Measurements of meat quality included fatty acid composition, lipid oxidation and colour during retail display (i.e. shelf life parameters) and eating quality assessed by a trained taste panel. The samples examined were sirloin (longissimus) steaks and minced beef burgers produced from the forequarter muscles infraspinatus, supraspinatus and triceps brachii. The fatty acid results showed that linseed increased the proportion of 18 : 3 n-3 (a -linolenic acid) in neutral lipid of the burgers and approximately doubled it in the phospholipid. Increased synthesis of 20 : 4 n-3 and 20 : 5 n-3 also occurred, raising their levels in the phospholipid. Fish oil doubled the proportions of 20 : 5 n-3 and 22 : 6 n-3, with the linseed/fish oil results intermediate between linseed and fish oil. The Welsh Blacks in experiment 2 had higher proportions of 18 : 3 n-3 in neutral lipid and higher proportions of 18 : 3 n-3, 20 : 5 n-3 and 22 : 5 n-3 in phospholipid. This showed a clear genetic effect on fatty acid composition. The fish oil diet in experiment 1 greatly increased lipid oxidation during retail display in both overwrapped loin steaks and burgers packed in a modified atmosphere. Values for lipid oxidation in the burgers were much higher than in the steaks due to the intimate mixing of phospholipid fatty acids and prooxidants. Lipid oxidation was also greater in the linseed/fish oil samples than controls in both experiments but was similar in linseed and controls. Colour oxidation also proceeded more rapidly in the fish oil samples in experiment 1 and tended to be faster in the linseed/fish oil groups in both experiments. Eating quality was affected by diet in experiment 1 — the fish oil samples eliciting higher scores for ‘fishy’ and ‘rancid’ than controls and having lower ‘overall liking’ scores. Steaks from animals given the linseed diet (with high 18 : 3 n-3 proportions) had the highest ‘overall liking’ scores in experiment 1 but the cattle given linseed for the shorter time in experiment 2 were not different from controls. Despite their different PUFA profile in muscle, Welsh Blacks had similar eating quality scores to Holstein-Friesians which deposited more neutral lipid (marbling fat) in muscle.

In an attempt to improve the bacteriological quality and refrigerated shelf life of broiler meat, 10-min surface wash treatments with sterile distilled water (DW), 8% (wt/vol) water extract of sumac (Rhus coriaria L.) fruits (WES), and 2% (vol/vol) lactic acid (LA) were compared by using a broiler wing model. The aerobic plate counts (log10 cfu/g) of psychrotrophs, mesophilic aerobes, Enterobacteriaceae, coliforms and presumptive fecal coliforms on the samples were determined. Immediately after a 10-min decontaminaton, the mean count of all the bacterial groups was determined to be 3.9, 2.6, and 1.7 (log10 cfu/g) for DW, WES, and LA, respectively. Because the postdecontamination population level of psychrotrophs, mesophiles, and Enterobacteriaceae were low in the LA-treated group compared to the WES group, an equity between the 2 groups in the point of view of the 3 bacterial groups existed at d 10 of cold storage (3 +/- 1 degrees C). Shelf life was 7 and 14 d for wings treated with DW and WES, respectively, whereas the LA-treated wings did not spoil after 14 d of cold storage (3 +/- 1 degrees C). Nevertheless, an undesirable pale color and an acidulous odor occurred in the LA-treated wings. In contrast, a good color appeared on the WES-treated wings, which was also superior to the color of the DW-treated wings. Such advantages of WES may be important for poultry processors and for consumers. However, the immediate decontamination and refrigerated shelf life extension potential of WES should be intensively studied in antimicrobial interventions in poultry processing plants.

The addition of sachets or pads containing volatile antimicrobial agents into packages has been the most successful commercial application of antimicrobials to packaging. In this study, the effect of oregano (Origanum onites) essential oil on the extension of shelf life of overwrap packed fresh chicken drumsticks was investigated. Meat exudate absorbent pads were sprayed with 5 mL of oregano essential oil at a concentration of 1.5% in distillate water. Sampling was carried out at 0, 3, 5, and 7 d of the refrigerated storage. Total viable count, psychrotrophs, pseudomonads, members of the family Enterobacteriaceae, yeasts, and lactic acid bacteria were enumerated. Physicochemical analysis and sensorial evaluation were also conducted. The shelf life of fresh chicken drumsticks was approximately 3 d. Oregano essential oil extended product shelf life by approximately 2 d. Thus, incorporation of essential oils to absorbent pads may have supplementary applications in food packaging.

In this study, we investigated whether wild-thyme (Thymus serpyllum) hydrosol had a preserving effect against spoilage of freshwater fish. Sensorial characteristics, chemical freshness indicator contents, and microbial counts (total aerobes, psychrotrophics, Enterobacteriaceae, fecal coliform bacteria, Aeromonas spp., and Pseudomonas spp.) of whole ungutted and gutted Transcaucasian barb (Capoeta capoeta capoeta Guldenstaedt, 1772) stored on ice produced from wild-thyme hydrosol and tap water at 4 degrees C for 20 days were compared. The results did not reveal any significant (P > 0.05) differences in the microbial counts, sensorial characteristics, pH, and total volatile basic nitrogen values between gutted and ungutted groups. Sensory evaluation and microbiological and chemical analyses indicated that the storage of the fish on ice produced from wild-thyme hydrosol had a significant increase in shelf life by at least 15 to 20 days.

The aim of this study was determine carriage rate and methicillin resistance of Staphylococcus aureus among food handlers. Samples were collected by swabbing the mouth, nasal cavity and hands of food workers. The isolation of S. aureus was performed using a culture method and verified by using a genetic method (PCR). The presence of mecA gene was analysed by PCR. The fourteen antimicrobial disks were also used to determine antimicrobial susceptibility of S. aureus. The 56 out of 282 isolates were identified as S. aureus. It is found that 10 workers out of 28 carried S. aureus in their nasal cavity while 4 and 3 workers out of 21 carriered S. aureus in mouth and hands respectively. None of the isolates carried mecA genes and also their antibacterial susceptibility test for methicillin resistance, using cefoxitin (30 µg), shown that all the isolates was susceptible to methicillin. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicated that the prevalence of antibiotic resistance of S. aureus strains isolated from food handlers was low. However carriage rate of S. aureus among food handlers was quite high.