The effect of lactic acid sprays on the keeping qualities of meat during storage.

Spraying the meat surface of skinned cow heads with 1% v/v lactic acid resulted in significant reduction in total viable counts of bacteria at storage temperatures of 4, 15 and 20 degrees C. The number of coliform bacteria was also reduced at all three temperatures but the reductions were not statistically significant on most occasions. However, after five and two days at 15 degrees C and 20 degrees C, respectively, when the initial effect of acid appeared to be lost, the number of coliforms on sprayed heads exceeded those on unsprayed heads. The shelf lives of all sprayed heads were observed to have been extended for about three days at 4 degrees C and one day for both 15 degrees C and 20 degrees C.