Effects of the addition of vinegar, weight loss and packaging method on the physicochemical properties and microbiological profile of biltong.

Biltong is an Ready to Eat (RTE) shelf stable salted/dried meat product stored under ambient conditions. The effect of vinegar addition during salting, weight loss during drying and packaging (modified atmosphere and vacuum) on the physicochemical and microbiological properties of beef biltong over a 3 months storage at 25 °C was investigated. Biltong dried to ~50% weight loss had a moisture content of ~50 g/100 g, salt content of 7.49 g/100 g and water activity >0.81 whilst biltong dried to 65% weight loss had a moisture content of 30 g/100 g, salt content of 7.14 g/100 g and water activity <0.78. Packaging method had no effect. Vinegar decreased the pH of biltong to 4.91, delayed the growth of total viable counts and reduced the coliforms count but not the yeasts and moulds. Escherichia coli was below the detection limit of 1 log cfu/g, Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes were absent and Staphylococcus aureus counts were <1.3 log cfu/g. • Effect of processing parameters on microbiological properties of biltong were studied. • A reduction of the final moisture content from 50 to 30% impacted on the physicochemical properties. • The use of modified atmosphere and vacuum packaging had no impact. • The decrease of pH due to vinegar reduced total viable counts and coliforms. • The decrease of pH due to vinegar did not have an impact on yeast and moulds counts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]