Anoxic storage of fresh beef. 1: Nitrogen and carbon dioxide storage atmospheres.
Anoxic gas-packaging of fresh beef was developed using a catalytic oxygen-scavenging system. Retail cuts of fresh beef do not discolour during storage periods of up to 3 weeks at 0°C in this system. The colour shelf-life of different muscles, subsequent to anoxic gas-packaging, are related to their intrinsic colour stabilities. Colour shelf-life decreases with length of storage period in the anoxic gas atmosphere. No differences in subsequent colour shelf-life are found between meat stored in anoxic gas atmospheres of nitrogen or of carbon dioxide for up to 3 weeks at 0°C.