A Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratory has a pleasant surprise for meat-eaters and the meat industry to reduce storage costs. It has developed a simple technology to extend the shelf-life of mutton to up to a week without cold storage facilities.

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Normally, mutton after being cut remains fresh for only six hours without refrigeration, and up to two days with refrigeration. According to meat stall owners and cold storage managers at supermarkets, after that period unsold meat is wasted.

But scientists from the animal products division at the Mysuru-based Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL) of DRDO have developed a special extract from pomegranate peels that can be injected or applied to the meat and kept out without bothering about the meat rotting due to harmful bacterial action. And it can remain fresh for a week without affecting the meat's natural taste or flavour.

DFRL scientists said while the research was mainly focussed on mutton, the beneficial effects of the pomegranate peel extract could similarly protect chicken meat and pork too. At present no technology is available for the preservation of fresh mutton without any chemical preservatives that can improve the shelf life beyond 20 hours, claimed DFRL scientists.

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DFRL addressed the problem by identifying and applying a natural edible preservative - the pomegranate peel extract - and carried out sustained experiments. They discovered that it significantly enhanced the shelf life of fresh mutton to seven days at ambient conditions.

PE Patki, head, food preservation, DFRL, informed Bangalore Mirror that pomegranate peels are powerful antioxidants (substances that inhibit oxidation that supports bacterial action and are used to counteract the deterioration of stored food products) with antimicrobial properties.

This prevented bacterial action on the meat even when kept out at room temperature.

Generally, meat kept out of cold storage for long periods are attacked by one or few of a whole range of harmful bacteria - Escherichia coli, salmonella, campylobacter jenuni, Clostri-dium botulinum, Clostridium perfringens, to name a few. Ingesting meat affected by these bacteria can cause severe symptoms like abdominal cramps, headache, fever, diarrhoea (sometimes with blood), and even death (if untreated).

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Patki said to prevent these bacteria the meat industry generally used artificial chemicals-based additives for preservation. "These are toxic and not consumer-friendly, which necessitated finding plant extracts to raise the shelf life of meat at room temperature," he said.

Primarily, the research aimed at finding a way to use natural preservatives to extend the shelf life of meat supplied to Indian Army jawans posted at the forward posts. "It takes a long time for the meat supply to reach them from the base camps; which is why we conducted this research and came out with this new technique, which we found was the best suited to extend the shelf life of mutton," he said.

Senior DFRL scientists said the technology was ready to be transferred to the industry so the common people could avail of it.

The DFRL's pomegranate peel extract is awaiting technology transfer and has been listed with the DRDO-Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry Initiative on Accelerated Technology Assessment & Commercialisation, of which the centre's Technology Develop-ment Board is a part.