QUALITY OF DRY CURED TURKEY MEAT PRODUCT “TURKEY PASTIRMA”

Abstract

The main objective of the current study was to investigate the effect of using turkey meat and different packaging techniques (modified traditional coating and vacuum packaging) on the sensory, physicochemical and microbiological quality attributes of pastirma. To achieve this objective, one hundred boneless and skinless chilled turkey breasts were trimmed and dry cured. After that, fifty dry cured turkey breasts were coated with modified traditional coating and the other fifty were sliced and vacuum packaged. Both turkey pastirma treatments were subjected to sensory, physicochemical and microbiological analysis immediately after processing and throughout chilled storage . The results showed that there were non- significant differences in sensory analysis, salt content, shear force value, mesophilic bacterial and mold counts among coated and vacuum packaged pastirma. Although, vacuum packaged pastirma showed significant lower protein, fat, ash contents, TBARS, TVBN, L*, b* values, lactic acid bacterial and yeast counts, it had significant higher moisture, residual nitrite contents and a* value when compared with coated one. The results also revealed that chilled storage of both pastirma treatments led to significant reduction in sensory quality parameters, moisture, residual nitrite contents, pH, L*, a* values, while significant elevation of protein, fat, ash, salt contents, TBARS, TVBN, b* values and all examined microorganisms.