Research Article Volume 8 • Issue 3 65 Packaging method does alter boneless-skinless chicken breast fillet characteristics Savannah L Douglas 1 , Gabriela M Bernardez-Morales 1 , Ricardo J Barrazueta-Cordero 1 , Tristan M Reyes 2 , Jason T Sawyer 1* Abstract Vacuum packaging of fresh boneless-skinless chicken breast is not widely used throughout the United States for marketing fresh chicken at the retail level. Evaluating technology such as vacuum packaging could improve the storage of fresh chicken. Boneless-skinless chicken breast was purchased from a commercial processor and packaged in one of six packaging treatments to evaluate the effects on surface color, odor evaluation, pH, microbial growth, and lipid oxidation throughout a 28-day refrigerated storage. Objective surface color of chicken breasts became lighter (p < 0.0001), less red (p = 0.0001) and less yellow (p < 0.0001) with increased storage time. Additionally, no change was observed in pH during storage duration (p = 0.2831). A spoilage threshold of 7-log cfu/g was established at the beginning of the study, and neither lactic acid bacteria (p = 0.2798), anerobic plate count (p < 0.0001) nor aerobic plate counts (p < 0.0001) reached the project threshold of 7-log cfu/g. Lipid oxidation was greatest (p < 0.0001) on day 21 of the storage period. In addition, subjective odor values increased over storage time (p < 0.0001) reaching an unacceptable threshold after 14 days. Results indicate that vacuum packaging is a method that can be used for extending storage life and quality attributes of fresh chicken retail products. Affiliation: 1 Department of Animal Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA 2 Winpak Ltd., 100 Saulteaux Crescent, Winnipeg, MB R3J 3T3, Canada *Corresponding author: Jason T Sawyer, Department of Animal Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA. Citation: Savannah L Douglas, Gabriela M Bernardez-Morales, Ricardo J Barrazueta-Cordero, Tristan M Reyes, Jason T Sawyer. Packaging method does alter boneless-skinless chicken breast fillet characteristics. Journal of Food Science and Nutrition Research. 8 (2025): 65-73. Received: April 27, 2025 Accepted: July 08, 2025 Published: July 23, 2025 Keywords: Chicken breast fillet; Instrumental color; Lipid oxidation; Shelf-life; Vacuum packaging Introduction Improving the storage-life of poultry products is often overlooked but necessary to meet consumer demands. In the United States, poultry cuts sold in retail settings are marketed in expanded polystyrene trays and wrapped in low barrier plastic packaging films. Over the last 60 years, global poultry meat production surged from 9 to 122 million tons, with poultry meat production accounting for nearly 40% of the global meat production in 2020 [1]. A rise in poultry production may be attributed to the increasing popularity of the protein source. Poultry is often favored due to its lower price, nutritional value, cooking convenience and a high value of polyunsaturated fatty acids in comparison to other proteins [2]. Unfortunately, there is minimal research evaluating storage duration when using vacuum packaging. Poultry cuts possess characteristics that provide favorable conditions for microbial growth [3]. Susceptibility to microbial growth poses a consumer health hazard as poultry can harbor many microorganisms [4]. Microbial growth can lead to undesirable changes in meat quality, resulting in a product that is unappealing and unsuitable for consumption, often causing the consumer to