Variation in the microbiological quality of commercially produced vacuum-packed cooked sliced meat between production and the end of shelf-life. 2014

Richard James Meldrum, and Deborah Charles, and Philip Mannion, and Paul Ellis
a School of Occupational and Public Health , Ryerson University , Toronto , Canada .

A study of the microbiological quality of cooked, sliced vacuum-packed meat was undertaken. Three hundred and eighty-one samples were taken (127 sets of three samples) from 55 commercial premises that produced packets of sliced, cooked, vacuum-packed meat for retail sale. The set of three samples consisted of one from the unsliced, cooked meat, one from the sliced product immediately after slicing, and one sliced packet for end of shelf-life testing. Samples were examined for aerobic colony count (ACC), Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli, Listeria, and Salmonella. When compared to current UK guidelines for the quality of ready to eat food, samples were found to be unsatisfactory for ACC, Enterobacteriaceae, and E. coli. Unsatisfactory rates increased at the end of shelf-life compared to the unsliced meat sample results. No samples were positive for Listeria monocytogenes or Salmonella. This data is important for producers setting the shelf-life of their products.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008461 Meat Products Articles of food which are derived by a process of manufacture from any portion of carcasses of any animal used for food (e.g., head cheese, sausage, scrapple). Meat Product,Product, Meat,Products, Meat
D003257 Consumer Product Safety The sum total of measures taken and regulatory policies enacted to ensure the safe use of consumer products. Safety, Consumer Product,Product Approval,Product Approvals,Product Safety, Consumer
D005504 Food Analysis Measurement and evaluation of the components of substances to be taken as FOOD. Analysis, Food,Analyses, Food,Food Analyses
D005506 Food Contamination The presence in food of harmful, unpalatable, or otherwise objectionable foreign substances, e.g. chemicals, microorganisms or diluents, before, during, or after processing or storage. Food Adulteration,Adulteration, Food,Adulterations, Food,Contamination, Food,Contaminations, Food,Food Adulterations,Food Contaminations
D005516 Food Microbiology The presence of bacteria, viruses, and fungi in food and food products. This term is not restricted to pathogenic organisms: the presence of various non-pathogenic bacteria and fungi in cheeses and wines, for example, is included in this concept. Microbiology, Food
D001419 Bacteria One of the three domains of life (the others being Eukarya and ARCHAEA), also called Eubacteria. They are unicellular prokaryotic microorganisms which generally possess rigid cell walls, multiply by cell division, and exhibit three principal forms: round or coccal, rodlike or bacillary, and spiral or spirochetal. Bacteria can be classified by their response to OXYGEN: aerobic, anaerobic, or facultatively anaerobic; by the mode by which they obtain their energy: chemotrophy (via chemical reaction) or PHOTOTROPHY (via light reaction); for chemotrophs by their source of chemical energy: CHEMOLITHOTROPHY (from inorganic compounds) or chemoorganotrophy (from organic compounds); and by their source for CARBON; NITROGEN; etc.; HETEROTROPHY (from organic sources) or AUTOTROPHY (from CARBON DIOXIDE). They can also be classified by whether or not they stain (based on the structure of their CELL WALLS) with CRYSTAL VIOLET dye: gram-negative or gram-positive. Eubacteria
D013997 Time Factors Elements of limited time intervals, contributing to particular results or situations. Time Series,Factor, Time,Time Factor
D014618 Vacuum A space in which the pressure is far below atmospheric pressure so that the remaining gases do not affect processes being carried on in the space. Vacuums
D014852 Wales A region of the United Kingdom, in the southwestern area of Great Britain.
D017408 Guidelines as Topic Works about a systematic statement of policy rules or principles. Guidelines may be developed by government agencies at any level, institutions, professional societies, governing boards, or by convening expert panels. For guidelines in the field of health care and clinical medicine, PRACTICE GUIDELINES AS TOPIC is available. Guidelines as Topics

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