The effects of ultrasound and marination treatment on meat quality and shelf life

Thermal technologies are generally applied to ensure safe production in the processing stages of meat and meat products. In addition to thermal technologies, various antimicrobial and/or antioxidant additives are used to ensure safety. The use of natural plant-based alternative sources for marination methods in the processing of meat and meat products has gained attention in recent literature studies in recent years. This study aims to determine the effect of marination processes using onion, thyme, and olive oil as natural plant sources, along with ultrases technology, on meat quality and shelf life. For this purpose, marinades containing onion (33.2%), thyme (3.6%), and olive oil (63.2%) were prepared based on the ratios determined from preliminary trials, and ultrasonic treatment was applied to diced meat samples for 20 minutes and 40 minutes in an ultrasonic water bath. Physical, chemical, microbiological, and sensory analyses were conducted on the samples during a 15-day storage period at 4°C to determine quality characteristics. The combined use of ultrasound and marination processes did not affect the pH and water activity of chopped meat samples (P>0,05) after 15 days of storage at 4°C, but significantly reduced moisture and cooking loss values compared to the control group (P<0,05). It was determined that the L* and b* values of the samples subjected to ultrases and marination processes significantly increased at the end of storage, while the a* values significantly decreased (P<0,05). At the end of storage, the TBARS values of the samples were similar to those of the control group, but the values were lower in the groups where ultrases and marination were applied together (P>0,05). Additionally, it was found that the application of ultrases and marination significantly reduced the hardness values of the samples, thereby improving their textural properties, while also decreasing total carbonyl content, delaying protein oxidation (P<0,05). The TAMB and yeast counts of the samples subjected to ultrasound and marination were also found to be significantly lower compared to the control group (P<0,05). In the sensory evaluation, the group that was most liked by the panelists was the sample group marinated with ultrases for 40 minutes. In conclusion, it is considered that the combined use of ultrases and marination processes is a successful application for improving meat quality in terms of color, texture, cooking loss, protein oxidation, sensory properties, and microbial safety.