Packaging
It has been suggested on occasions that delays between boning
and packaging contribute to excessive drip through the effect of
stacking of cuts on tables or in containers. There is no direct
evidence for this but it seems likely that inappropriate pressure
would encourage movement of any drip from around the meat
fibres out to the surface (Fig. 2).
Vacuum packaging results in higher drip loss than other modifiedatmosphere
techniques. In a New Zealand study, sealed nonvacuumed
samples had the lowest drip formation of all samples
from a range of treatments that included shrunk (Barrier Bags) and
non-shrunk (conventional and aluminium foil) vacuum packs,
standard carbon dioxide atmosphere packs and also packs in
which the meat samples were supported away from the films within
rigid tubes.
The degree of vacuum affects drip loss. In the New Zealand trial
referred to above, a full vacuum tended to cause more drip than
lesser vacuums. This was explained in part by the physical
squeezing of the meat. Although it is not stated in the paper, a
snorkel machine was probably used. The rate of vacuum
application during packaging doesn’t appear to have a significant