4 °C - the National Sea Grant Library

Percent Carbon Dioxide in Headspace of Packaged Crab Meat
Stored at 0 C
ot
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
Days
Figure 5. Mean percent carbon dioxide levels
packaged crab meat stored at O°C in the control
three tamper-evident containers
Log Aerobic Plate Counts of Packaged CrabMeat
Stored at 0 C
I
3
t
1. j --e-7 Pull Tab
t
21""""'
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
of
and
Doys
Figure 6. Mean log aerobic plate count populations
determined for packaged crab meat stored at 0°C in
the control and three tamper-evident containers
10 6 CFU/g by day 15, reaching the end of their microbiological shelf
life (Figure 6) (Gates et al, 1993) . Anaerobic plate counts
-increased with time, most rapidly between 6 and 18 days of Storage.
No consistent differences among the four storage cups were observed
(Figure 7). Psychrotrophic plate counts showed no consistent
differences among the containers during iced storage (Figure 8).
Although Hunter L or whiteness values were lower for meat
collected from the aluminum-end cups through 15 days of storage, the
differences were not statistically significant (Figure 9). Hunter
a or relative redness and Hunter b or relative blueness levels