The aim of this study was to define the effects of high-pressure treatment (600 MPa, 10 min, 20 °C) on the quality of cooked pork ham prepared with two different levels of curing ingredients in brine. Physical, chemical, microbiological, and sensory tests were performed 24 h after high pressure processing (HPP), as well as after 6 and 8 weeks of storage in refrigerator conditions. The results indicate that HPP causes significant improvement of shelf life of vacuum packed ham, including the samples with reduced level of curing ingredients in brine to 8 weeks in refrigerator conditions (4–6 °C). HPP did not have significant effect on the texture or color of ham. However, it significantly increased the drip loss during storage in the packed samples. This may indicate that HPP has negative effects on water holding capacity of cooked products.

SUMMARY. The present paper aimed at the assessment of the changes of quality and shelf life of chicken breast meat (musculus pectoralis) packed in an atmospher

Influence of housing system on the growth and histological structure of duck muscles

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of various forms of sage (Salvia officinalis L.) preparations on the quality characteristics of vacuum-packed chicken meatballs containing mechanically separated meat (MSM) from chickens during storage (+4 °C, 14 days). The meatballs tested in this study were prepared as follows: (1) without the addition of sage (control), (2) with 1.0% of dried sage (SD), (3) with 2.0% of 40% (v/v) sage ethanol extract (SEE40), (4) with 2.0% of 70% (v/v) sage ethanol extract (SEE70), and (5) with 0.1% of sage essential oil (SEO). The meatballs were assessed at weekly intervals for lipid oxidation, microbial quality, color parameters, selected organoleptic attributes, and other quality features. During storage, the lipid oxidation processes in the meatballs were slowed down by all the tested sage preparations, but the most effective slowdown was caused by sage ethanol extracts. On day 14, the values of thiobarbituric-acid-reactive substances determined in the SEE40 and SEE70 products (0.210 mg malondialdehyde [MDA]/kg and 0.233 mg MDA/kg, respectively) were significantly (p < 0.05) lower than that in the control (0.659 mg MDA/kg). Considering all the investigated microbial groups, the best antimicrobial activity was observed in the SEE70 and SEO products. On day 14, there were no significant (p > 0.05) changes in the aroma of the tested chicken meatballs, and only the SEO product showed significantly (p < 0.05) poorer appearance and color than the control. In conclusion, among the various sage preparations used in vacuum-packed chicken meatballs with MSM, SEE70 may be recommended to manufacturers.