title: Microbial pathogen control in the beef chain: recent research advances.
abstract: Within a recent EU research project ("ProSafeBeef"), research on foodborne pathogens in the beef chain was conducted by using a longitudinally integrated (fork-to-farm) approach. There is not any "single intervention-single chain point" combination by which the pathogens would be reliably and entirely eliminated from the chain resulting in total prevention of pathogens in beef and products thereof at the consumption time. Rather, a range of control interventions have to be applied at multiple points of the chain, so to achieve an acceptable, ultimate risk reduction. Various novel interventions were developed and evaluated during the project, and are briefly summarized in this paper. They include on-farm measures, risk categorisation of cattle presented for slaughter, hygiene-based measures and antimicrobial treatments applied on hides and/or carcasses during cattle slaughter, those applied during beef processing-storage-distribution, use of Time Temperature Integrator-based indicators of safety, and effective sanitation of surfaces.
authors.affiliation: University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Trg Dositeja Obradovica 8, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia. Electronic address: buncic_sava@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Sava
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Buncic
authors.affiliation: Agricutural University of Athens, Lab of Microbiology and Biotechnology of Foods, Iera Odos 75, Athens 11855, Greece.
authors.forename: George-John
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Nychas
authors.affiliation: Aberystwyth University, Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Gogerddan Campus, UK.
authors.forename: Michael R F
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Department of Food Science & Technology, School of Agriculture, P.O. Box 256, Thessaloniki GR-541 24, Greece.
authors.forename: Kostas
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koutsoumanis
authors.affiliation: INRA, UR454 Microbiology, F-63122 Saint-Genès Champanelle, France.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hébraud
authors.affiliation: INRA, UR454 Microbiology, F-63122 Saint-Genès Champanelle, France.
authors.forename: Mickaël
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Desvaux
authors.affiliation: Agricutural University of Athens, Lab of Microbiology and Biotechnology of Foods, Iera Odos 75, Athens 11855, Greece.
authors.forename: Nikos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chorianopoulos
authors.affiliation: Teagasc Food Research Centre, Ashtown, Dublin 15, Ireland.
authors.forename: Declan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bolton
authors.affiliation: University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Trg Dositeja Obradovica 8, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.
authors.forename: Bojan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Blagojevic
authors.affiliation: University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Trg Dositeja Obradovica 8, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.
authors.forename: Dragan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Antic
mesh_terms: D000003:Abattoirs; D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D002417:Cattle; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae; D005511:Food Handling; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology*; D012499:Sanitation
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents
keywords: Beef chain; Beef safety; Control; Foodborne pathogens