title: Microbial spoilage, quality and safety within the context of meat sustainability.
abstract: Meat is a nutrient-dense food that provides ideal conditions for microbes to grow and defines its perishable nature. Some organisms simply spoil it while others are a threat to our health. In either case, meat must be discarded from the food chain and, being wasted and consequently an environmental burden. Worldwide, more than 20% of the meat produced is either lost or wasted. Hence, coordinated efforts from farm to table are required to improve microbial control as part of our effort towards global sustainability. Also, new antimicrobial systems and technologies arise to better fulfill consumer trends and demands, new lifestyles and markets, but for them to be used to their full extent, it is imperative to understand how they work at the molecular level. Undetected survivors, either as injured, dormant, persister or viable but non-culturable (VBNC) cells, undermine proper risk evaluation and management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Science, Université Laval, Quebec City, Québec, G1V 0A6, Canada. Electronic address: linda.saucier@fsaa.ulaval.ca.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Saucier
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D005503:Food Additives / Q000032:analysis; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D063427:Food Quality; D059022:Food Safety; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology*; D018570:Risk Assessment
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D005503:Food Additives
keywords: Feeding strategies; Meat safety; Meat spoilage; Microflora management; Near-death physiology; Survivors