Today, more and more consumers prefer chilled poultry meat, since unlike freezing, chilling allows preserving the natural juiciness, tender texture, and nutritional value of the product without loss of quality after cooking. However, there is also a downside — such meat spoils more quickly, as it provides a favorable environment for the growth of microorganisms. Within just a few days of storage in a refrigerator, bacteria and molds may multiply on its surface, causing unpleasant odors, color changes, and a decrease in nutritional value.
To address this issue, scientists from the Kazakh Research Institute of Processing and Food Industry, in collaboration with researchers from Lomonosov Moscow State University and the All-Russian Research Institute of Refrigeration Industry, have developed a modern method of poultry meat storage without the use of synthetic preservatives. Whereas nitrites and other preservatives were more commonly applied in the past, today the focus is shifting toward safe and natural components. One of the most promising options is biopreservatives — bacteriocins, antimicrobial peptides secreted by lactic acid bacteria.
Recent studies have shown that a bacteriocin derived from a hybrid strain of Lactococcus lactis can effectively inhibit the growth of harmful microbes, including Salmonella, Listeria, and E. coli, as well as slow down the development of molds and yeasts. In experiments, poultry meat treated with this biopreservative, incorporated into a whey-based edible coating, remained fresh for 20 days under normal refrigerated storage conditions and showed no signs of spoilage.
In the future, this technology could make it possible to completely eliminate excessive “chemicals” and offer consumers fresh products that combine both quality and safety.
Filatov I.D., PhD student
