Evaluation of salami packed under different packaging materials

The global demand for meat products has risen significantly over the past decades, leading to concerns over spoilage and safety due to the perishable nature of meat. This study evaluates the effectiveness of alternative, more sustainable plastic packaging materials on the quality evolution of whole and pre-sliced salami packed in modified atmosphere. In particular, whole salami was packaged using BOPA/EVOH-PE as the control material, and BOPP-ALOx/PP as the alternative solution. For pre-sliced salami, the conventional packaging consisted of Bio-PET/R-PET/PET tray with upper BOPET film, while the more sustainable alternative was represented by Bio-PET/R-PET/Bio-PET tray with upper PET-ALOx film. The impact of packaging on color stability, microbial growth, lipid oxidation, and chemical attributes was examined during a 90-day storage period at 4 °C. Results indicated that the alternative single-material packaging used for whole salamis, characterized by higher water vapor and oxygen barrier properties, led to condensation issues during storage. The combination of limited moisture and gas exchange contributed to a higher final water activity (a_w) and inhibited surface mold development, resulting in an external color shift toward darker shades. Conversely, for pre-sliced salamis, minimal differences in qualitative attributes were observed between the products stored in the two different packaging systems. The significantly lower CO₂ levels and slight decrease in a_w in the salamis packaged in Bio-PET/R-PET/Bio-PET trays were attributed to its higher gas and water vapor permeability compared to the conventional system. These findings underscore the potential of alternative and more sustainable packaging materials to enhance meat product preservation.