Development of a predictive model for vacuum-packed pork

Project details

Status: Current

The challenge

The Australian pork industry aims to produce pork efficiently and sustainably to meet consumer demand, while assuring high quality.
This is challenged by the need to minimise the loss of product quality (including shelf life) along different supply chains and to meet a wide range of shelf life-related specifications.

Vacuum-packed models for beef and lamb

Through TIA’s previous projects with Meat and Livestock Australia, shelf-life predictive models for vacuum-packed beef and lamb were successfully developed based on the growth rate of microorganisms present and processes of spoilage (based on odour) as a function of temperature.

The models have now been adopted by many red meat processors as a reliable and cost-effective decision-support tool for better management of their cold chains, i.e., to optimise product quality, to avoid an unexpected loss of quality, to reduce wastage, reduce the need for markdowns, and, more importantly, reduce customer complaints.

Expanding to vacuum-packed pork

To develop a model for shelf-life prediction of Australian vacuum-packed pork, this project aims to expand the applicability of the existing tool to quantify rates of spoilage of pork in vacuum packaging.

The team will systematically assess shelf-life of vacuum-packed pork across storage temperature ranges to define its best-before dates.
The data generated and the interpretation based on this can then be used to modify and/or refine the existing predictive models to enable reliable and accurate predictions of shelf life of vacuum-packed pork.

Benefit to industry

Achieving this, and being able to demonstrate its scientific basis, would enable the industry to further develop the APIQ Programme (i.e., standardising methodology used for shelf-life assessment and development of national standards), while having the ability to better understand and manage cold chains.