The safety of meat continues to be a challenge, mainly due to the ever-increasing line speeds and customer expectations that are approaching zero tolerance toward any irregularities. Listeria-free fresh meat is being requested in the market, and even small pieces of soft plastic can cause major recalls, loss of reputation, and loss of business for meat producers. In this article, the authors present new approaches to addressing well-known and emerging challenges from physical and microbiological risks in the meat industry.

When determining the shelf life of meat products, it is important to consider how the growth of both spoilage organisms and pathogenic bacteria can be prevented, while at the same time keeping a keen eye on the sensory quality of the product.