Aged meat does not carry greater food safety risks than fresh meat when aging is done correctly, according to a new scientific opinion adopted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The document focuses on the microbiological food safety risks of aged meat in comparison to fresh meat, and specifically examines current practices used by industry to dry-age and wet-age meat.
As aged meat rises in popularity among industry and restaurants, the European Commission commissioned the scientific opinion to fill existing knowledge gaps about the commodity.