Lipid Oxidation in Frozen, Mechanically Deboned Turkey Meat as Affected by Packaging Parameters and Storage Conditions

Mechanically deboned turkey meat (MDTM) was stored in different packaging materials (film produced with natural antioxidant (alpha-tocopherol) or synthetic antioxidant) at -20 degrees C for 12 mo in a vacuum, modified atmosphere, or air. One-half of the samples were thawed at 4 degrees C for 24 h after 1 mo of storage and then refrozen. Oxidative rancidity was evaluated during storage by measuring the development of 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and hexanal, a volatile oxidation product. Vacuum- and modified atmosphere-packaged samples had lower TBARS values and hexanal content than air-packaged samples with corresponding treatments. Hexanal content and TBARS values increased with storage time, and the highest levels were obtained after 6 mo of storage. The largest increase was obtained with presence of oxygen. Mechanically deboned turkey meat stored in packages where a natural antioxidant (alpha-tocopherol) was used in production of one of the PE layers, had, in almost every instance, the lowest TBARS values and hexanal content when stored in vacuum or modified atmosphere. However, this difference was not statistically significant. Neither TBARS values nor hexanal content showed dependency of the temperature profile (frozen or frozen/thawed/refrozen) during storage.