Applications of Time-Temperature Integrator (TTI) as a Quality Indicator of Grounded Pork Patty

Time-temperature integrators (TTIs) are simple and cost-efficient tools which may be used to predict food quality. Enzymatic TTIs are devised to indicate food quality in the form of color alterations from green to red, based on the cumulative impacts of temperature and time period on the enzymatic reactions. In this study, the quality of ground beef patties was investigated for the parameters of pH levels, color, VBN, water holding capacity, and total microbial counts, depending on various storage temperatures (5, 15, and 25oC). TTIs were attached to the surface of the ground beef patties in order to evaluate the degree of correlating colorimetric changes with the determined quality parameters. Through the Arrhenius equation, activation energy and constant reaction rates of TTI, VBN, and total microbial counts were calculated as to observe the relationship between enzymatic reactions of the TTI and food spoilage reactions of the ground beef patties. VBN and total microbial counts were already increased to reach decomposition index (VBN: 20, total microbial count: 7-8 Log CFU/g) of meat at middle stage of storage period for each storage temperature. Although activation energy of TTI enzymatic reactions and food spoilage reactions of the ground beef patties were similar, the change of TTI color was not a coincidence for food spoilage at 5oC and 15oC of storage temperature. It was suggested that TTI should be designed individually for storage temperature, time, type of meat, or decomposition index of meat.