Poultry processors commonly place whole
parts of broilers in plastic packages and seal them in
an atmosphere of 100% carbon dioxide before shipping
them to food service and retail customers. This practice
extends the shelf life of retail cuts to approximately 12
d under refrigerated conditions. The objective of this
study was to determine the antimicrobial efficacy of
vinegar for growth inhibition of mesophilic and lactic
acid bacterial counts and enhancement of shelf life in
CO2-packaged refrigerated chicken thigh samples. Meat
quality, sensory differences, and microbial enumeration
were evaluated for chicken thighs that were sprayed with
0, 0.5, or 1.0% vinegar. No differences were observed (P
> 0.05) among treatments (control vs. 0.5 and 1.0%
vinegar-treated chicken thighs) with respect to pH and
Commission Internationale d’Eclairage L*a*b*for both
chicken skin and the meat tissue. The difference from