Effects of ε-Polylysine on Physicochemical Characteristics of Chilled Pork

The aim of this paper was to research effects of epsilon-polylysine (epsilon-PL) on physicochemical characteristics of chilled pork during storage. Chilled pork was treated with different concentrations of epsilon-PL. Sensory properties, total bacterial counts (TBC), pH, total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N), metmyoglobin (MetMb) content, and alpha-thiobarbituric acid (TBA) of treated and control samples were analyzed periodically during refrigerated storage. Compared to control, significant reductions (p < 0.05) for TBC, pH, TVB-N, and MetMb content of chilled pork treated with epsilon-PL during storage were found in this study. However, there were significant increments in sensory scores, and TBA almost did not change. TVB-N, pH, and log(10)CFU/g showed a positive linear relationship among them. These results indicated that 1.25 % epsilon-PL could effectively inhibit the growth and reproduction of bacteria and enhance preservative effects of chilled pork. Thus, epsilon-PL has good potential to be a preservative and extends shelf life of chilled pork.