| abstract |
A process for prepacking fresh meat to enhance and improve the consistency of its quality at the point of retail sale, and to increase the shelf life of the meat, such process including the steps of treating the meat with an aqueous solution containing three active components, and then packaging the meat in a controlled gaseous atmosphere containing from about 20 to about 80 percent carbon dioxide, and from about 2 to about 30 percent oxygen, with the balance being nitrogen. The solutions active components include certain phosphate compounds and a reducing agent which is selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid, isoascorbic acid, or the sodium and potassium salts of these acids, and reductic acid. The third ingredient is either citric acid or tartaric acid, or ethylenediaminetetracetic acid, or an alkali metal salt thereof, functioning as a sequestering agent. |