Influence of packaging on microbiological, chemical and sensory changes in chill-stored turkey portions

1. Microbiological, chemical and sensory changes were determined for turkey breast fillets and drumsticks in either oxygen‐permeable film or vacuum packs during storage at 1 °C. 2. The use of vacuum packs delayed “off” odour development from 16 to 25 d in the case of breast fillets and from 14 to 20 d for drumsticks but in each case the detection of definite “off” odours was often preceded by marked changes in flavour. 3. At spoilage, pseudomonads predominated on both breast fillets and drumsticks in oxygen‐permeable packs whilst in vacuum packs the predominant organisms comprised two groups of bacteria resembling “ a typical lactobacilli “, one being more common on breast fillets, the other on drumsticks. 4. Protein breakdown (measured in tyrosine equivalents) was observed in all samples during storage and occurred most rapidly in vacuum‐packed breast fillets. Hypoxanthine, which has been associated with flavour changes in meats, increased in concentration at least four‐fold over the storage period.