Table 3 Effect of incorporation of sapota powder on pH, microbial quality and sensory attributes of pork patties under aerobic and modified atmosphere packaging at refrigeration temperature (4±1°C)

Group	0	7	14	21	28	35	42
pH
C_A	6.31±0.012^a	6.33±0.020^a	6.39±0.022^bB	6.42±0.020^bcB	6.47±0.012^cC	6.49±0.017^cdC	6.56±0.021^dB
T_A	6.28±0.014^a	6.302±0.034^ab	6.33±0.019^abAB	6.36±0.009^bcAB	6.40±0.015^cAB	6.41±0.014^cAB	6.49±0.025^dAB
C_M	6.30±0.009^a	6.33±0.019^ab	6.37±0.019^abcB	6.40±0.016^bcAB	6.44±0.023^cdBC	6.48±0.031^dBC	6.50±0.037^dB
T_M	6.27±0.013^a	6.29±0.024^b	6.30±0.022^abA	6.34±0.029^abA	6.35±0.037^abcA	6.38±0.020^bcA	6.41±0.026^cA
Microbial quality
Standard plate count (Log₁₀ CFU/g)
C_A	4.12±0.22^aB	4.53±0.22^aB	4.89±0.17^abB	5.38±0.15^bC	5.35±0.13^bB	6.36±0.23^cB	7.30±0.17^dB
T_A	3.85±0.20^aAB	4.27±0.20^aAB	4.35±0.15^aA	4.95±0.12^bAB	4.96±0.12^bAB	5.30±0.19^cAB	6.32±0.20^dB
C_M	4.05±0.16^aAB	4.34±0.16^aAB	4.81±0.11^abB	5.08±0.08^bBC	5.18±0.22^bAB	5.65±0.24^cB	6.71±0.10^dB
T_M	3.70±013^aA	3.90±013^aA	4.19±0.11^aA	4.59±0.17b^A	4.77±0.09^bA	5.11±0.13^cA	5.75±0.15^dA
Psychrophilic count (Log₁₀ CFU/g)
C_A	1.12±0.11^aB	1.33±0.08^a	1.69±0.09^bB	2.11±0.13^cD	2.74±0.15^dB	2.95±0.14^dB	3.59±0.15^eC
T_A	ND	ND	1.13±0.08^aA	1.59±0.07^bB	1.94±0.13^cB	2.25±0.12^cB	2.87±0.10^dB
C_M	1.15±0.06^aA	1.31±0.07^b	1.58±0.11^cB	1.91±0.13^dC	2.66±0.04^dB	2.86±0.05^eB	3.26±0.13^fB
T_M	ND	ND	ND	1.20±0.07^aA	1.31±0.06^abA	1.45±0.11b^A	1.61±0.08c^A
Coliform count (Log₁₀ CFU/g)
C_A	ND	ND	1.55±0.15^a	1.82±0.16b^B	1.98±0.16^cC	2.71±0.08^deC	2.96±0.15^eC
T_A	ND	ND	ND	1.21±0.10^aA	1.63±0.08^bB	1.84±0.08^cB	1.98±0.15^cB
C_M	ND	ND	1.14±0.11^a	1.45±0.10^Bb	1.95±0.19^bcBC	2.15±0.16^cdBC	2.56±0.13^dBC
T_M	ND	ND	ND	ND	1.07±0.08^aA	1.23±0.08^aA	1.54±0.12^bA
Staphylococcus aureus (Log₁₀ CFU/g)
C_A	ND	ND	1.02±0.11^a	1.20±0.06^abB	1.86±0.012^bB	2.83±0.26^cB	3.42±0.21^dB
T_A	ND	ND	ND	1.11±0.07^aA	1.47±0.11^abA	1.76±0.15^bcA	1.95±0.01^cB
C_M	ND	ND	ND	ND	1.26±0.04^aA	1.62±0.12^bAB	2.18±0.16^cA
T_M	ND	ND	ND	ND	ND	1.12±0.13^aA	1.41±0.14^bA
Yeast and moulds (Log₁₀ CFU/g)
C_A	ND	ND	1.35±0.10^a	1.55±0.14^ab	1.69±0.08^bcB	1.91±0.06^cB	2.59±0.14^dD
T_A	ND	ND	1.39±0.13^a	1.51±0.18^a	1.54±0.08^aAB	1.68±0.08^aAB	2.21±0.12b^AB
C_M	ND	ND	1.28±0.06^a	1.51±0.13a^b	1.56±0.08^bAB	1.87±0.09^cB	2.46±0.16^dBC
T_M	ND	ND	1.12±0.04^a	1.37±0.05^b	1.44±0.05^bA	1.57±0.07^cA	1.90±0.04^dA
Sensory attributes
Appearance and colour
C_A	7.07±0.19^d	6.88±0.14^cd	6.54±0.09^bc	6.43±0.06^b	5.78±0.17^aA	-	-
T_A	7.21±0.07^e	7.12±0.07^e	6.79±0.18^d	6.39±0.07^c	6.01±0.09^bAB	5.87±0.11^bB	5.14±0.07^Aa
Group	0	7	14	21	28	35	42
C_M	7.11±0.17^d	6.96±0.18^d	6.86±0.17^cd	6.47±0.10^bc	6.12±0.07^bBC	5.43±0.14^aA	-
T_M	7.22±0.11^c	7.15±0.18^c	6.94±0.15^c	6.59±0.05^b	6.39±.07^bc	5.99±0.10^aB	5.86±0.09^aB
Flavour
C_A	7.14±0.14^d	7.04±0.09^d	6.73±0.06^c	6.31±0.07^bA	5.90±0.11^aA	-	-
T_A	7.36±0.04^e	7.13±0.15^d	6.93±0.15^cd	6.71±0.10^cB	6.19±0.06^bB	6.04±0.10^bB	5.27±0.08^aA
C_M	7.16±0.08^d	7.05±0.14^d	6.91±0.15^d	6.59±0.12^cAB	6.22±0.09^bB	5.69±0.07^aA	-
T_M	7.34±0.08^e	7.25±0.13^de	7.0±0.13^cd	6.81±0.11^cB	6.49±0.08^bC	6.20±0.12^abB	6.03±0.08^aB
Juiciness
C_A	7.28±0.10^d	6.96±0.11^c	6.55±0.15^b	6.34±0.08^bA	5.72±0.06^aA	-	-
T_A	7.24±0.07^e	7.14±0.12^de	6.90±0.13^cd	6.64±0.09^cBC	6.26±0.08^bB	6.04±0.09^b	5.50±0.12^Aa
C_M	7.26±0.10^d	7.06±0.13^d	6.72±0.05^c	6.44±0.11^bAB	6.21±0.05^bB	5.94±0.09^a	-
T_M	7.24±0.10^d	7.12±0.14^bc	7.02±0.13^bc	6.83±0.10^bcB	6.38±0.09^aB	6.14±0.12^a	6.07±0.11^aB
Tenderness
C_A	7.23±0.12^d	6.96±0.11^c	6.51±0.16^b	6.34±0.07^bA	5.72±0.08^aA	-	-
T_A	7.20±0.12^f	7.06±0.15^f	6.86±0.12^de	6.64±0.14^cdAB	6.29±0.07^bcB	6.02±0.12^b	5.56±0.12^aA
C_M	7.22±0.10^d	6.99±0.09^d	6.69±0.05^c	6.35±0.11^bA	6.24±0.05^bB	5.91±0.14^a	-
T_M	7.20±0.10^b	7.14±0.14^b	7.09±0.12^b	6.85±0.12^bB	6.24±0.08^aB	6.19±0.10^a	6.09±0.11^aB
Overall acceptability
C_A	7.06±0.18^e	6.91±0.13^cd	6.59±0.08^bc	6.43±0.06^b	5.87±0.18^a	-	-
T_A	7.28±0.06^e	7.16±0.05^e	6.81±0.20^d	6.39±0.07^c	6.06±0.12^b	5.95±0.11^b	5.30±0.08^a
C_M	7.14±0.16^c	6.98±0.15^c	6.90±0.15^c	6.47±0.10^b	6.19±0.09^b	5.52±0.14^a	-
T_M	7.25±0.11^c	7.13±0.17^c	6.97±0.13^c	6.59±0.05^b	6.43±0.09^c	6.01±0.12^a	5.91±0.06^a

Mean±standard error with different superscripts row wise (small alphabet) and column wise (capital alphabet) differ significantly (p<0.05). n=6 for each treatment except for sensory n=72.
C_A, control product under aerobic packaging, T_A, product with 4% Sapota powder under aerobic packaging; C_M, control product under modified atmosphere packaging; T_M, product with 4% Sapota powder under modified atmosphere packaging; ND, not detected.