Method of treating fresh meat cuts

Claim 1

A process for packing fresh meat cuts comprising: treating the fresh meat cuts by contacting the fresh meat cuts with an aqueous solution containing (a) a phosphate compound selected from the ground consisting of the alkali metal orthophosphates, alkali metal pyrophosphates, alkali metal tripolyphosphates and alkali metal hexametaphosphates; (b) a reducing compound selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid, isoascorbic acid, the alkali metal salts of said acids, and reductic acid, and (c) a sequestering agent selected from the group consisting of citric acid, tartaric acid, ethylenediaminetetracetic acid, and the sodium and potassium salts of such acids, so as to place in the so treated meat, from about 0.1 weight percent to about 2.0 weight percent of the phosphate compound, from about 0.01 weight percent to about 0.3 weight percent of said reducing compound, and from about 0.01 weight percent to about 0.3 weight percent of said sequestering agent, all based on the total weight of the fresh meat cut so treated by contacting; then packaging the treated fresh meat cuts in a gaseous mixture which comprises from about 2 percent to about 25 oxygen, and from about 20 percent to about 80 percent carbon dioxide, with the balance being nitrogen, whereby the properties of the thus treated and packaged meat are improved and will remain good for an extended period of time of up to at least 21 days in said controlled gaseous atmosphere, and whereby the microbial shelf life of the meat is caused to be at least as long as the color shelf life of the meat.