A modern technique applied to prolong the shelf-life of meat products is storage in a controlled atmosphere. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of two methods of storing breast muscles of turkey hens on their sensory features and total count of micro-organisms, i.e. storing in the atmosphere of controlled gases composed of 95 % nitrogen and 5 % oxygen and in the atmospheric air at a temperature of 2 ºC, for 5 to 25 days. Based on the results of the research conducted, it was found that the microbial contamination degree during the cold storage of breast muscles and the sensory quality reduction determined the suitability of the meat for consumption by people. The microbial contamination level was assessed as satisfactory, and the sensory changes were found insignificant in unpackaged breast muscles stored in the atmosphere of controlled gases for 10 days. However, the increase in total microbial counts and significant changes in sensory quality reduced the time period for storing breast meat of turkey hens to 5 days only.