Development of Colorimetric On-package Indicator for Monitoring of Chicken Meat Freshness during Refrigerated Storage (4±1°C)

Real-time quality monitoring of packaged meat is the key of today's commercialized meat sector to ensure its safety in supply chain. Designing of user friendly dye based cost effective indicator can fulfil all the present requirements. Bromocresol Purple (BCP) is chemo-responsive dye, has been evaluated to develop colorimetric indicator. The indicator (0.1% of dye in 50% ethanol) was fabricated by immobilized BCP dye on indicator carrier (2% w/v agarose gel) to make strips of specific dimension (2 cm2). Indicator strip was attached inside fresh meat packets, such a way that it could be visible from outside of the packet during storage at 4±1oC. Dye was immobilized in agarose gel to make the strips as an indicator, which worked during increase in concentration of total volatile basic nitrogen (TVBN) and ammonia produced gradually in the chicken meat package headspace. The colour changes in indicator were observed from light yellow to purple, with concurrent spoilage of chicken meat. The changes in colour of indicator strip were compared with chicken meat quality parameters upto day 7 with intervals of 2 days during storage at 4±1°C. pH, Thiobarbituric Acid Reacting substance (TBARS), TVBN, Ammonia level, Free amino acid (FAA) and microbial counts increased (P<0.05) significantly during storage. Results have indicated that indicator colour response correlated well with the change in physico-chemical and microbial parameters of chicken meat, making the indicator enable to real-time monitoring of chicken meat during the storage at 4±1°C.