Storage Stability of Vacuum Packaged Traditional Pork Product Incorporated with Silam (Perilla frutescens [L] Briton) Seeds at Refrigeration Temperature (4±1°C)

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of vacuum packaging on the physicochemical, microbial and sensory properties of ready-to-eat pork curry with silam (Perilla frutescens [L] Britton) seeds, a traditional cuisine from Nagaland. The parameters were studied at regular intervals of 0, 5, 10 and 15 days with refrigerated storage at (4 ±1 °C). A significant (p<0.01) decrease in pH, moisture and crude protein was observed with increasing storage time. A significant (p<0.01) increase in TBARS and tyrosine levels was observed with increasing storage time. The microbiological numbers increased with increasing storage time. However, throughout the storage period, all bacterial counts were within the acceptable limits of pork curry with silam. The product showed no symptoms on the 15th day of storage and was acceptable in terms of sensory quality up to 15 days under vacuum packaging. Thus, the present study shows that vacuum packaging could be useful to improve the shelf life of pork curry with silam without compromising the physico-chemical, microbiological and sensory properties of the product.