ILIRJANA BOCI, MARSIDA SULO, ELDA RAMA, ARBËR QOSE
Abstract
The meat processing industry confronts regulatory challenges relating to food additives use, hygienic rules, non-conventional ingredients replacing traditional ones. Nutrition values labeling and its conformity with the declaration is another concern for meat processing producers considering the complex matrix of meat, variation in raw material, storage time, packaging mode etc. This has caused problems with official authorities who find some variation between lab analysis results and nutrition values declaration in the label. This paper aims at assessing factors such as storage time until last date for consumption, packaging mode for two types of meat products. Samples stored under three conditions unpackaged, packaged in modified atmosphere, and vacuum packaged were monitored throughout their shelf life to evaluate variations in nutritional values. The results confirmed that vacuum packages show the least variation in composition compared to modified atmosphere packaging. The most stable component has been protein content, while fat resulted as most varied component. Though considering all the nutritional components variability, the energy content proved to be the most robust indicator, cancelling all the fluctuation between the components. In any case all the results were between tolerance limits by +20% showing conformity with Regulation (EC) No. 1162/2012 and the Albanian Regulation VKM Nr.434/2018 “Për etiketimin e ushqimeve dhe informimin e konsumatorit”.
Keywords: Dry cooked salami, sausage, unpackaged, modified atmosphere packaging, vacuum packaging, nutritional value, label.