All foods undergo natural transformations over time, affecting their chemical, physical, organoleptic, microbiological, and structural properties. To slow down or minimize these changes, the food industry has continuously developed technologies to extend shelf-life — the period in which food maintains its nutritional and sensory qualities at an acceptable level.
Shelf-life is a crucial factor in food safety, regulated by strict guidelines to ensure consumer protection. From production to storage and final preparation in restaurants, proper handling is essential to reduce waste and optimize costs for businesses while protecting the environment.
To address these challenges, Next Cooking Generation has invested in advanced food preservation research, leading to the development of induced maturation©, a patented technique integrated into waveco®. Utilizing ultrasound, this innovative process extends the shelf-life of any food, significantly enhancing safety and freshness.
Scientific Validation
Studies conducted by the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Teramo confirm the high efficacy of induced maturation© in increasing food safety and shelf-life.
The Test
The experiment aimed to assess shelf-life through microbiological analysis, food color stability, and total bacterial count (TBC) at 30°C.
Three commercial cuts of Charolais beef were tested: Sottofesa: Royal (intercostal and great dorsal muscles); and finally, a Boneless Lombata.
To push the test limits, meat was used just 48 hours post-slaughter, meaning it still had high muscle toughness.
Each cut was divided into six portions, of which one was untreated (control sample), and five subjected to 40 minutes of induced maturation©, then ground, packaged, and stored in film wrap, vacuum-sealed or protected atmosphere. The storage temperature was +4°C for 15 days.
Importantly, all processing was done in a regular professional kitchen using manual tools—simulating real-world restaurant conditions rather than a controlled laboratory setting. This ensured a more challenging environment with increased handling, leading to natural bacterial growth.
The Results
Through a Microbiological Analysis (TBC), it was demonstrated that samples of meat treated with induced maturation© maintained good organoleptic and nutritional qualities for up to 15 days when stored in vacuum or protected atmosphere. On the contrary, meat stored in film wrap showed good microbiological values for up to 5 days but deteriorated after that.
Similarly, in relation to color stability, induced maturation© proved its effectiveness. Initially, all samples showcased a bright red color, characteristic of fresh meat. By day 2, the red color remained intact across all vacuum and protective atmosphere samples. By day 5, the film-wrapped sample began darkening. By day 15, only the vacuum-sealed and protected atmosphere samples retained brightness, while the film-wrapped sample showed significant blackening.
The key takeaway of our test is clearly that induced maturation© helps preserve food color stability without any negative effects on appearance.
Conclusions
With waveco®, food retains its organoleptic and nutritional properties longer, ensuring higher food safety standards. According to the report provided by the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Teramo who conducted the test, “induced maturation© has the ability to significantly reduce bacterial load, an ability that has an impact not only on prolonging storage but also on food safety”. In other words, induced maturation© has a decontaminating effect, as this process significantly reduces bacterial load, even under high-handling conditions. It also extend shelf life, considering that treated meat remains safe and of high-quality for up to 15 days in optimal packaging.
waveco®: Healthier Food, Fresher for Longer