The meat industry uses refrigeration as the air-chilling system to slow microbial growth and maintain carcass quality. In the pork industry, the time between harvest and fabrication is typically 24 to 48 hours. On the other hand, small pork processors may hold carcasses for an extended time prior to fabrication, and the effect of extended storage on the microbial quality of pork carcasses has not been well documented. To the best of our knowledge, supporting documentation is not available for holding pork carcasses an extended period. Thus, the objective of our study was to evaluate extended hanging time on the microbial quality of pork carcasses and vacuum packaged blade steaks fabricated from these carcasses during cold storage.
In this study, a total of 20 pigs was used, each weighing approximately 280-290 pounds. They were harvested on two separate days at the Kansas State University (KSU) Meats Laboratory (Manhattan, KS) under USDA inspection. All pigs were rendered unconscious using electrical stunning (400 volts for 15 s) and were immediately exsanguinated. Normal harvest procedures were used for processing. A zero-tolerance inspection was conducted to visually inspect for feces, milk, and ingesta on pork carcasses. Upon harvest completion, pork carcasses were sprayed with hot water (170°F to 200°F), and the right sides were weighed, labeled, and stored for up to 21 days in a carcass cooler that averaged 32°F with 87.3% relative humidity. Samples were taken from the jowl, shoulder and flank on storage days 1, 7, 14, and 21 and evaluated for aerobic plate count (APC), Enterobacteriaceae (EB), yeast and mold populations, surface pH, and moisture content.