Antimicrobial packaging of raw beef, pork and turkey using silver-zeolite incorporated into the material

This study determined the efficacy of silver-zeolite impregnated into wrapping paper to reduce the bacterial growth on raw beef, pork and turkey cuts. This was compared with that of regular butcher paper. The samples were inoculated with Pseudomonas putida (psychrotrophic spoilage bacterium) and stored on 4% silver-zeolite and regular butcher paper for up to 4 days at 4 degrees C and 10 degrees C. Results showed that P. putida on the beef, pork and turkey samples did not increase in numbers after exposure to all paper packaging at 4 degrees C during the 4 days of storage. At 10 degrees C storage temperature, logarithmic growth patterns for the organisms were seen on all paper packaging. However, the growth rate was slower for the organisms on the silver-zeolite paper. Storage on the silver-zeolite paper accounted for one log cfu/sample mean reduction in viable cell count for the beef, pork and turkey samples when compared with the samples stored on the butcher paper at 3 days.