Decreasing Microbial Contamination Logs Of Ozonated Ice Used For Meat Transport In An Icebox

Abstract

Meat is a very perishable food product, and improper temperature control during transportation may cause rapid growth of microbes, which poses a health hazard to the population. Ice usage is not a new concept in the transportation process, but other types of ice with antimicrobial qualities can provide a better degree of preservation.

The research was carried out at the Meat Health Laboratory, Public Health branch, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Baghdad, for a period of 2 months. The sheep meat samples were kept in an icebox under three conditions: no ice, tap water ice, and ozonated ice for 3, 5, and 8 h. Microbial contamination was determined by determining the total aerobic bacteria count and total coliform count.

Meat transported without ice exhibited the highest bacterial counts across all time periods. Tap water ice reduced bacterial growth compared with no ice, whereas ozonated ice produced the greatest reduction in both total aerobic and coliform bacterial counts. This effect was consistent throughout the experiment and across all transportation times.

The use of ozonated ice during meat transportation significantly improves microbiological quality compared with tap water ice or no ice. Therefore, ozonated ice is a promising and effective method for enhancing meat safety and preservation during short-term transportation.