ABSTRACT

I. INTRODUCTION Contamination of sterile animal muscle used as food is a direct consequence of slaughtering and dressing of animal carcasses. Wide ranges of microorganisms from different sources are introduced onto moist muscle surfaces that are rich in nutrients. It is argued that only a small portion (10%) of these microorganisms is capable of survival and proliferation during storage, distribution, and retail sales of meats. Additionally, an even a smaller portion will eventually predominate and cause spoilage. Survival and proliferation of microorganisms deposited on meat surfaces depends on their ability to withstand processing and storage conditions and to utilize available nutrients in the muscle through assimilation or proteolysis of complex molecules into readily utilizable substrates.