Abstract
This study aimed to comparatively evaluate the effects of papain, Bacillus licheniformis, the commercial bioprotective culture SafePro® B-SF-43, and starter cultures on selected physicochemical, rheological, textural, and color characteristics of meat products. Formed meat systems, intact muscle meat, and cooked sausages were used as experimental models. Changes in pH, rheological properties, texture, and color were evaluated during storage. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) at a significance level of p < 0.05. In the formed meat system, pH increased from 6.30 to 7.03 in the control, while papain and B. licheniformis treatments resulted in final pH values of 7.70 and 8.20, respectively. SafePro® B-SF-43 resulted in a pH of 7.90 and showed a comparatively more stable effect on rheological and color characteristics. No statistically significant differences in textural parameters were observed between treated and control samples (p > 0.05). In intact muscle meat, papain treatment contributed to the stabilization of pH during storage. In cooked sausages, the F-1 starter culture affected pH and color characteristics during storage. Overall, the tested biotechnological treatments demonstrated distinct effects depending on the meat system and application type. The results indicate their potential for targeted regulation of selected physicochemical and technological properties of meat products and for improving storage stability.