Contamination and Spoilage of Meat and Meat

Products.
Meat is an ideal culture medium for many
organisms because it is high in moisture; rich in
nitrogenous food and various degrees of complexity and
plentifully supplied with minerals and accessory growth
factors. It usually contains some fermentable
carbohydrates at a favorable pH for most
microorganisms. The inner flesh of meat is generally
sterile or only a few numbers of microorganisms can
survive there. They are found in bone marrow, lymph
etc. Normal slaughtering will remove the lymph nodes
form edible parts. Majority of the spoilage
microorganisms are contaminants, comes from external
sources during unhygienic bleeding, handling and
processing. The exterior of the animals normally
harbors large numbers and many kind of
microorganisms from soil, water feed, and manure, as
well as natural surface flora, and the intestinal contents
contain the intestinal organisms. Knives, cloths, air, and
hands of workers can serve as intermediate sources of
contaminants. During handling of the meat thereafter,
contamination can come from carts, boxes, or other
containers; other contaminated meat; air; and personnel.
Because of the varied sources, the kinds of
microorganisms likely to contaminate meats are many.
Molds of many genera may reach the surface of meats
and grow there. Especially important are species of
genera Cladosporium, Sporotrichum, Geotrichum,
Thamnidium, Mucor, Penicilium,
Alternaria, and Monilia. Yeasts, mostly asporogenous
ones, often are present. Bacteria of many genera are
found, among which some of the more importanat
are Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Moraxella,
Alcaligens, Micrococcus, Streptococcus, Sarcina,
Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus, Proteus, Flavobacterium,
Bacillus, Clostridium, Escherichia, Campylobacter,
Salmonella and Streptomyces. Many of these bacteria
can grow at chilling temperatures. There also is a
possibility of the contamination of meat and meat
products with human pathogens, especially those of the
intestinal type. Further contamination can take place
due to unhygienic handling in retail market and in
home.
.
The physiological condition of the animal before
slaughtering: If the animal is excited, or fatigued,
bacteria are more likely to enter the tissues. The
earlier release of juices from tissues and rapid
denaturation of proteins favors growth of microbe
within the tissue.
The method of killing and bleeding play an
important role in the rate of spoilage of the meat.
The rate of cooling: rapid cooling soon after
dressing will result the extension of lag phase of
 microbial growth there by decreases the rate of
spoilage.
Upon gaining entry to the flesh the growth of the
contaminant microbes are affected by a wealth of
factors such as
The kind and amount of contamination with
microorganisms and the spread of these organisms in
the meat.
The physical properties of the meat.
Chemical properties of the meat. (Presence of
inhibitory substances)
Availability of oxygen.
Temperature.
pH
Moisture content
Osmotic pressure etc.
General type of Spoilage of meats and meat
Products.
Spoilage under Aerobic condition:
Surface slime: caused by species
of Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Moraxella,
Alcaligens, Micrococcus, Streptococcus,
Leuconostoc, andBacillus. Some species of
lactobacillus can also produce slime. The spoilage
microflora form a thin film on meat, which enable
them to obtain nourishment from the substrate. The
temperature and the availability of moisture influence
the kind of microorganisms causes surface slime. At
chilling temperature high moisture will favor the
growth of Pseudomonas while at low moisture those
organisms with low aw, such as micrococci and yeasts
dominates and with still less moisture only molds can
grow.
Changes in colour of meat pigments : The red
colour of meat, called its "bloom," may be changed
to shades of green, brown, or grey as a result of the
production of oxidizing compounds, e.g., peroxides,
or of hydrogen sulfide, by bacteria. Species
of Lactobacillus (mostly heterofer?mentative)
and Leuconostoc are reported to cause the greening of
sausage.
Changes in fats. The oxidation of unsaturated fats
in meats takes place chemically in air and may be
catalyzed by light and copper. Lipolytic bacteria may
cause some lipolysis and also may accelerate the
oxidation of the fats. Rancidity of fats may be caused
by lipolytic species
of Pseudomonas and Achromobacter or by yeasts.
Phosphorescence: This rather uncommon defect is
caused by phospho?rescent or luminous bacteria,
 e.g., Photobacterium spp., growing on the sur?face of
the meat.
Moreover, various surface colors due to
pigmented bacteria has been reported in spoiled meat.
The "red spot" may be caused bySerratia marcescens or
other bacteria with red pigments. Pseudo?monas
syncyanea can impart a blue color to the surface.
Yellow discolora?tions are caused by bacteria with
yellow pigments, usually species
of Micro?coccus orFlavobacterium. Chromobacterium
lividum and other bacteria give greenish-blue to
brownish-black spots on stored beef. The purple
"stamping?ink" discoloration of surface fat is caused by
yellow-pigmented cocci and rods. When the fat
becomes rancid and peroxides appear, the yellow color
changes to a greenish shade and later becomes purplish
to blue.
Off odours and off tastes. "Taints," or undesirable
odours and tastes, which appear in meat as a result of
the growth of bacteria on the surface often,
are evident before other signs of spoilage. "Souring"
is the term applied to almost any defect that gives a
sour odour that may be due to volatile acids, e.g.,
for?mic, acetic, butyric, and propionic, or even to
growth of yeasts. "Cold-storage flavour" or taint is an
indefinite term for a stale flavour. Actinomycetes may
be responsible for a musty or earthy flavour.
Under aerobic conditions yeasts may grow on the
surface of meats, causing sliminess, lipolysis, off
odours and tastes, and discolorations-white, cream,
pink, or brown-due to pigments in the yeasts.
Aerobic growth of molds may cause the following:
Stickiness. Incipient growth of molds makes the
surface of the meat sticky to the touch.
Whiskers. When meat is stored at temperatures
near freezing, a limited amount of mycelial growth
may take place without sporulation. Such white,
fuzzy growth can be caused by a number of molds,
includingThamnidium chae?tocladioides, or T.
elegans; Mucor mucedo, M. lusitanicus, or M.
racemosus; Rhizopus and others. Controlled growth
of a special strain of Thamnidium has been
recommended for improvement in flavor during aging
of beef.
Black spot. This usually is caused
by Cladosporium herbarum, but other molds with
dark pigments may be responsible.
White spot. Sporotrichum carnis is the most
common cause of white spot, although any mold with
wet, yeastlike colonies, e.g., Geotrichum, can cause
white spot.
 Green patches. These are caused for the most part
by the green spores of species of Penicillium such
as P. expansum, P. asperulum, andP. oxalicum.
Decomposition of fats. Many molds have lipases
and hence cause hydrol?ysis of fats. Molds also aid in
the oxidation of fats.
Off odours and off tastes. Molds give a musty
flavor to meat in the vicinity of their growth.
Sometimes the defect is given a name indicating the
cause, e.g., "thamnidium taint."
Spots of surface spoilage by yeasts and molds
usually are localized to a great extent and can be
trimmed off without harm to the rest of the meat. The
time that has been allowed for diffusion of the
products of decomposition into the meat and the rate
of that diffusion will determine the depth to which the
defect will appear. Extensive bacterial growth over
the surface may bring fairly deep penetration. Then,
too, facultative bacteria may grow inward slowly.
Spoilage under Anaerobic Conditions:
Facultative and anaerobic bacteria are able to grow
within the meat under anaerobic conditions and cause
spoilage.
Souring. The term implies a sour odour and
perhaps taste. This could be caused by formic, acetic,
butyric, propionic, and higher fatty acids or other
 organic acids such as lactic or succinic. Souring can
result from (a) action of the meat's own enzymes
during aging or ripening, (b) anaerobic production of
fatty acids or lactic acid by bacterial action, or (c)
proteolysis without putrefaction, caused by
facultative or anaerobic bacteria and sometimes
called `stink?ing sour fermentation." Acid and gas
formation accompany the action of the "butyric"
Clostridium species and the coliform bacteria on
carbohydrates. Vacuum-packed meats, especially
those in gastight wrappers, commonly support the
growth of lactic acid bacteria.
Putrefaction. True putrefaction is the anaerobic
decomposition of protein with the production of foul-
smelling compounds such as hydrogen sulfide,
mercaptans, indole, skatole, ammonia, and amines. It
usually is caused by spe?cies of Clostridium, but
facultative bacteria may cause putrefaction or assist
in its production, Generally members of the
genera Pseudomonas, Proteus, Clostridium
and Alcaligenes cause putrefaction in meat and meat
products. . The putrefaction caused by clostridia is
usually accompanies by gas formation.
poilage of Fruits and Vegetables:
It is estimated one-fourth of the harvested fruits and
vegetables is spoiled before consumption. Spoilage of
fresh fruits and vegetables usually occurs during storage
and transport. Vegetables and fruits reach the consumer
as fresh, dried, frozen, fermented, pasteurized, or
canned. Contamination may take place during
harvesting, handling, transportation or storage unless
proper hygienic conditions were not maintained.
Mechanical damage may increase the susceptibility to
decay and the growth of microorganisms may take
place. Washing process in contaminated water may
moisten surfaces enough to permit entry and growth of
organisms. Storage in contaminated containers, use of
contaminated dressing materials, possible contact with
decayed products, unhygienic handling, fly infestation
etc. will also cause an accelerated rate of spoilage.
The deterioration of raw vegetables and fruits
may result from physical factors, action of their
enzymes, microbial action, or combinations of all these.
Microbial spoilage in fruits and vegetables varies not
only with the kind of fruit or vegetables but also to
some extent with the variety. Microbial spoilage may
due to (1) plant pathogens acting on stems, leaves,
flowers, or root of the plant, on the fruit or other special
parts used as foods; (2) saprophytic organisms, which
may be secondary invaders after the action of plant
pathogen or may enter a healthy fruit or vegetable, as in
the case of various ?rots? or grow on its surface, as
when bacteria multiply on moist, piled vegetables. At
times a saprophyte may succeed the pathogen or a
succession of saprophytes may be involved in the
spoilage. The most commonly occurring types of
microbial spoilage are as follows:
1. Bacterial soft rot, caused by Erwinia crtatowa and
related species, which are fermenters of
pectins, Pseudomonas
marginalis, Clostridium andBacillus spp. Have also
been associated with these rots. It results water-soaked
appearance, a soft, mushy consistency, and often a bad
odor.
2. Gray mold rot: caused by species of Botrytis,
eg: B.cinerea, which is favored by high humidity and
warm temperature.
3. Rhizopus soft rot: caused by species Rhizopus,
eg R.stolonifer. A rot results that often is soften and
mushy. The cottony growth of the mold with small,
black dots of sporangia often covers masses of the
foods.
4. Anthracnose, usually caused by Colletotrichum
lindemuthianum, C. coccodes and other species.
The defect is a spotting of leaves and fruit or
seedpods.
5. Alternaria rot, caused by Alternaria tenuis and
other species. Areas become greenish-brown early
in the growth of the mold and later turn to brown or
black spots.
6. Blue mold rot: caused by species of Penicilfium
digitatum and other species. The bluish-green color
that gives the rot its name results from the masses
of spores of the mold.
7. Downy mildew, caused by species
of Phytophthora, Bremia, and other genera. The
molds grow in white, woolly masses.
8. Watery soft rot caused chiefly by Sclerotinia
sclerotiorum, is found mostly in vegetables.
9. Stem-end rots, caused by species of molds of
several genera, e.g.,Diplodia,
Alternaria, Phomopsis, Fusarium, and others,
involve the stem ends of fruits.
10. Black mold rot, caused by Aspergillus niger. The
rot gets its name from the dark-brown to black
masses of spores of the mold, termed "smut".
11. Black rot, often caused by species
of Alternaria but sometimes ofCera?tostomella,
Physalospora, and other genera.
12. Pink mold rot, caused by pink-
spored Trichothecium roseum.
13. Fusarium rots, a variety of types of rots caused
by species ofFusarium.
14. Green mold rot, caused usually by species
of Cladosporium but some?times by other green-
spored molds, e.g., Trichoderma.
15. Brown rot, caused chiefly by Sclerotinia
(Monilinia fructicola) species.
 16. Sliminess or souring, caused by saprophytic
bacteria in piled, wet, heating vegetables.
Fungal spoilage of vegetables often results in
water-soaked, mushy areas, while fungal rots of fleshy
fruits such as apples and peaches frequently show
brown or cream-colored areas in which mold mycelia
are growing in the tissue below the skin and aerial
hyphae and spores may appear later. Some types of
fungal spoilage appear as "dry rots," where the infected
area is dry and hard and often discolored. Rots of juicy
fruits may result in leakage.
The composition of the fruit or vegetable
influences the likely type of spoilage. Thus, bacterial
soft rot is widespread for the most part among the
vegetables, which are not very acid. Because most fruits
and vegetables are somewhat acid, are fairly dry at
surface. Thus the character of the spoilage will depend
the product attacked and the attacking organism.