ABSTRACT
The major causes of concern and product recalls associated with fresh meat products are typically linked to Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella enteritidis, Campylobacter jejuni, and Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat meat and poultry products (Sofos, 2008). Even though most of the foodborne outbreaks were traced to improper food handling practices, Nørrung and Buncic (2008) argued that the original sources of foodborne pathogens that cause most meat-borne bacterial diseases are asymptomatic farm animals that carry and shed pathogens in the feces. In many cases, farmed ruminants carrying zoonotic pathogens in the gastrointestinal tract show no signs of infection (Adam and Brülisauer, 2010; Johnston, 1990). In this chapter, we will focus on the main food safety risks, prevention, and intervention strategies in beef cattle and dairy productions. A case study of Listeria monocytogenes in pasteurized milk will be discussed at the end of the chapter.
