The Producers and the manufacturers have been challenged by the increasing demand for the safe and high-quality meat
and meat products over the past few decades. Particularly, the recent demand for minimally the processed, the easily
prepared, and the ready-to-eat meat products combined with the novel concepts of all-natural and clean-label has rapidly
increased. These products may contain natural or organic ingredients without artificial preservatives that do not trigger
the common food allergies or the sensitivities. The meat and the meat products are highly prone to microbial
contamination since they are rich in essential nutrients and perishable. This is further accelerated by some intrinsic factors
including pH and water activity of the fresh meat. In general, the freshest meat has a water activity value higher than
0.85, and its pH value falls within the favorable pH range for spoilage bacteria of the meat. Hence, deterioration in
quality and potential public health issues is common if these products are not properly handled and preserved. The
significant spoilage of the meat and the meat products occurs every year at different levels of the production chain
including the preparation, the storage, and the distribution. Besides the lipid oxidation and the autolytic enzymatic
spoilage, the microbial spoilage plays a significant role in this deterioration process leading to a substantial economic
and environmental impact. |
