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foods Article Suitability of Biodegradable Materials in Comparison with Conventional Packaging Materials for the Storage of Fresh Pork Products over Extended Shelf-Life Periods Luzia M. Hawthorne 1, Anel Beganovi´c 2, Matthias Schwarz 3, Aeneas W. Noordanus 4, Markus Prem 5, Lothar Zapf 6, Stefan Scheibel 3, Gerhard Margreiter 4 , Christian W. Huck 2 and Katrin Bach 1,* 1 Department of Food Technology and Nutrition, Management Center Innsbruck, Universitaetsstrasse 15, 6020 Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria; [email protected] 2 Institute for Analytical Chemistry and Radiochemistry, Leopold Franzens University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, 6020 Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria; [email protected] (A.B.); [email protected] (C.W.H.) 3 MULTIVAC Sepp Haggenmüller SE & Co. KG, Bahnhofstrasse 4, 87787 Wolfertschwenden, Bayern, Germany; [email protected] (M.S.); [email protected] (S.S.) 4 NATURABIOMAT GmbH, Oberer Feldweg 64, 6130 Schwaz, Tyrol, Austria; [email protected] (A.W.N.); [email protected] (G.M.) 5 Department for Food and Packaging Technology, Kempten University of Applied Sciences, Bahnhofstrasse 61, 87435 Kempten, Bayern, Germany; [email protected] 6 ZLV-Zentrum für Lebensmittel- und Verpackungstechnologie e.V., Ignaz-Kiechle-Strasse 20-22, 87437 Kempten, Bayern, Germany; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +43-5122-070-3811; Fax: +43-5122-070-3899 Received: 10 November 2020; Accepted: 29 November 2020; Published: 4 December 2020 Abstract: The packaging of fresh meat has been studied for decades, leading to improved packaging types and conditions such as modified atmosphere packaging (MAP). While commonly used meat packaging uses fossil fuel-based materials, the use of biodegradable packaging materials for this application has not been studied widely. This study aimed at evaluating the sustainability of biodegradable packaging materials compared to established conventional packaging materials through analyses of the quality of freshly packaged pork. The quality was assessed by evaluating sensory aspects, meat color and microbiological attributes of the pork products. The results show no significant differences (p > 0.05) in ground pork and pork loin stored in biodegradable MAP (BioMAP) and conventional MAP for the evaluated sensory attributes, meat color or total bacterial count (TBC) over extended storage times. The data suggest that BioMAP could be a viable alternative to MAP using conventional, fossil fuel-based materials for the storage of fresh meats, while simultaneously fulfilling the customers’ wishes for a more environmentally friendly packaging alternative. Keywords: modified atmosphere packaging; biodegradable packaging; meat quality; green packaging; meat shelf life 1. Introduction Fresh meat is considered a perishable food [1,2] that provides ideal conditions for microbial growth, with some organisms simply causing spoilage while others pose a serious threat to human health, making it a public health concern [3,4]. Meat safety can be challenged in various ways, e.g. chemical residues such as pesticides and antibiotics, diseases in animals such as transmissible spongiform Foods 2020, 9, 1802; doi:10.3390/foods9121802 www.mdpi.com/journal/foods Foods 2020, 9, x 2 of 23 1. Introduction Fresh meat is considered a perishable food [1,2] that provides ideal conditions for microbial growth, with some organisms simply causing spoilage while others pose a serious threat to human health, making it a public health concern [3,4]. Meat safety can be challenged in various ways, e.g. Foods 2020, 9, 1802 2 of 23 chemical residues such as pesticides and antibiotics, diseases in animals such as transmissible spongiform encephalopathy and microbial contamination with pathogenic microbes or their toxins encephalopathy[5]. In any case, and the microbialcontamin contaminationated meat must with be pathogenicremoved from microbes the food or their chain toxins and [5 ].consequently In any case, thebecomes contaminated waste, leading meat must to an be additional removed from environmental the food chain burden. and consequently Meat production becomes and waste, consumption leading tohave an additionalbeen under environmental additional burden.scrutiny, Meat not productiononly for the and public consumption health haveissue, been but under also additionalfor their scrutiny,environmental not only impact for the and public their health role issue,in microbiological but also for their safety environmental [6]. Meat products impact andgenerally their roleare inconsidered microbiological valuable safety foodstuffs, [6]. Meat so productsthe aim is generally to achieve are the considered longest valuablepossible shelf foodstu life.ffs, This so the can aim be issupported to achieve by the economically longest possible and ecologically shelf life. This sensible can bepackaging. supported The by production economically of high and-quality ecologically meat sensiblehas a long packaging. tradition in The the production Tyrol/Bavaria of high-qualityborder region. meat Nowadays, has a long meat tradition products in theare packaged Tyrol/Bavaria and bordersold primarily region. Nowadays,in supermarkets meat productsinstead of are fresh packaged over the and counter sold primarily at the butcher in supermarkets shop. In this instead study, of freshthe matrix over the pork counter was ch atosen the butcher due to shop.its favored In this status study, by the both matrix producers pork was and chosen consumers due to itswithin favored the statusEuropean by both Union. producers According and consumersto the Organisation within the Europeanfor Economic Union. Co According-operation toand the Development Organisation for(OECD Economic), pork Co-operation is one of the andmost Development consumed meats (OECD), over pork the isentire one ofglobe, the most with consumed the European meats Union over theand entire China globe, favoring with pork the European over any Union other andmeat, China according favoring to porkmost over recent any data, other over meat, 30 according kg of pork to mostconsumption recent data, per overcapita, 30 respectively kg of pork consumption [7]. In 2014, pork per capita,was the respectively most significant [7]. In meat 2014, category pork was in the mostEuropean significant Union, meat with category over 22.1 in themillion European metric Union, tons produced with over, 22.1attributing million metricto 51%tons of the produced, annual attributingproduction toof 51%all meats of the [8]. annual production of all meats [8]. Food packagingpackaging as as means means of protectionof protection against against product product deterioration deterioration through through damage damage to physical, to chemicalphysical, andchemical biological and biological properties properties has led to advancementshas led to advancements in the choice in ofthe materials choice of and materials packaging and modificationspackaging modifications in the last decades. in the Dilastfferent decades. packaging Different systems packaging allow for systems different allow modulations for different of the gaseousmodulations environment of the gaseous of the packagedenvironment goods. of the Vacuum-skin packaged goods. packaging Vacuum (VSP)-skin relies packaging on negative (VSP) pressure relies toon removenegative ambient pressure air to with remove sealing ambient of pouches air with or rollstocksealing of formed pouches packages or rollstock to maintain formed thepackages vacuum to statemaintain [9]. Modifiedthe vacuum atmosphere state [9]. packagingModified atmosphere (MAP), on thepackaging other hand, (MAP changes), on the the other composition hand, changes of the gaseousthe composition environment of the around gaseous the environment meat [4] through around which the meat the microflora [4] through of meatwhich can the be microflora modulated, of providedmeat can thebe modulated, cold chain isprovided maintained the throughoutcold chain is storage maintained and transport, throughout without storage any and additives transport, or otherwithout interventions. any additives The or aforementioned other interventions. packaging The systems aforementioned and their varyingpackaging gaseous systems environments and their arevarying significant gaseous for environments packaging fresh are meat. significant for packaging fresh meat. The visualvisual andand packagingpackaging di differencesfferences in in VSP VSP and and BioMAP BioMAP/MAP/MAP are are illustrated illustrated inFigure in Figure1. In 1. the In casethe case of the of MAPthe MAP example, example, BioMAP BioMAP would would appear appear similar similar as only as only diff erentdifferent packaging packaging materials materials are usedare used to achieve to achieve a similar a similar packaging packaging look and look feel and as MAP.feel as As MAP. can beAs observed, can be observed, with VSP, with the packagedVSP, the goodspackaged are sealedgoods acrossare sealed their across entire surfacetheir entire on a surface dimensionally on a dimensionally stable bottom stable film orbottom a prefabricated film or a trayprefabricated with a special tray skinwith film a special [10]. VSP skin relies film on[10]. negative VSP relies pressure on negative to remove pressure ambient to air remove [9], eliminating ambient theair [9], air aroundeliminating the meat the air [11 ].around In the casethe meat of MAP, [11]. the In naturalthe case atmosphere of MAP, the in thenatural package atmosphere is removed in the [9] andpackage

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