Effect of treatment with ozonated water on shelf life of refrigerated meat

Ozone is a strong oxidant and potent disinfecting agent. In this study, volatile basic nitrogen, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, acid value and pH all of which are quality indicators in meat products, were evaluated. The meat was treated with the ozonated water (0.2 ppm) for 0, 5, 10, 30, and 60 min and then stored at 5oC for 24 d. The volatile basic nitrogen content of meat was 22.40 mg% after 9 d of storage and 23.24 mg% at 15 d of storage with ozonated water (0.2 ppm) treatment. During 24 d of storage, the pH, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, and acid value were decreased when subjected to ozonated water treatment. These results suggested that the ozonated water treatment effectively improved the chemical properties and food safety.