Development of a freshness indicator for monitoring the quality of beef during storage.

Quality of beef and detect changes in freshness during storage was evaluated using freshness indicator. The freshness indicator can indicate spoilage or freshness of the packaged product through color changes directly detected by the naked eye. We also monitored changes in pH, 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, volatile basic nitrogen, and total bacterial count. A change in the color of the indicator reflects the pH of the headspace of the beef packaging. Beef was stored at 20 °C for 24 h, after which the color of the freshness indicator changed. Results of color change from freshness indicator are similar to quality parameters including chemical, microbiological, and sensory evaluation that are commonly used to characterize the freshness of beef. The results show that this freshness indicator is useful for determining the shelf life of beef products by monitoring physicochemical changes and microbial safety. © The Korean Society of Food Science and Technology 2019.