ASSESSMENT OF OXIDATION COMPOUNDS DURING THE SHELF LIFE OF POULTRY MEAT PRODUCTS

Poultry meat market is one of the most important food markets in Italy and the EU. Maintaining the quality of poultry products during their shelf life is a constant challenge. This work evaluates the quality of chicken cutlets packed in an aerobic packaging and chicken-spinach cutlets packed in MAP packaging during chilled storage. Additionally, the potential of extending the shelf life of these products beyond the established period was assessed. Physicochemical attributes, such as color, lipid oxidation and the content of bioactive compounds (i.e., tocopherols and carotenoids), were assessed along the shelf life. Furthermore, the temperature profile was evaluated and the microbiological quality along the shelf life was monitored. Both products exhibited similar trends in color parameters. The L* values increased during the initial days of storage (up to day 6) and then started to decline. Conversely, the a* and b* values decreased initially and then remained stable for the rest of the storage period. Chicken and chicken-spinach cutlets showed low levels of peroxidation, with a maximum PV value of 2.42 meqO2/kg for chicken cutlets and 1.97 meqO2/kg for chicken-spinach cutlets. The TBARS assay confirmed higher lipid oxidation levels in chicken cutlets, reaching a maximum of 1.75 mg MDA/kg in the first 17 days of storage. Meanwhile, chicken-spinach cutlets exhibited a maximum of 1.47 mg MDA/kg until day 17, increasing to 2.73 mg MDA/kg by the end of shelf life. Bioactive compound analysis revealed the presence of only α-tocopherol in both products and lutein in the chicken-spinach cutlets, with relatively stable contents throughout the shelf life. However, chicken-spinach cutlets showed a higher presence of bioactive compounds and a higher stability during storage. The temperature profile was found to be able to guarantee product safety and microbiological stability during shelf life reaching endpoint temperatures between 79.30 and 86.38 °C. However, in the last days of the shelf life some visible mold growth on both products was recorded. These results indicate that both products have a good overall quality during shelf life. The mold growth and an increase in lipid oxidation make it challenging to extend the established shelf life at refrigerated temperatures while using the simple aerobic packaging.