Introduction

Meat and meat products can be deemed microbiologically safe when there are no pathogens in the product and the total viable count is low. In meat products, the threshold value is total viable count of 105 in 1g. Fresh meat, in terms of chemical composition and physico-chemical conditions, is a good living environment for bacteria. Only the initially high oxidoreductive potential inhibits bacterial growth by extending the duration of lag phase of the population growth curve. Since pre-historic times, humans have been using various ways to extend useful life of food. The use of chemical preservative substances increased rapidly in the recent years when the market forced food manufacturers to supply goods:

Use of preservatives results in a reduction or prevention of adverse biological and chemical changes caused by microorganisms, oxidation of food ingredients, enzymatic and non-enzymatic reactions, and in some cases ensuring safe consumption by inhibition of pathogenic growth. Use of additives to extend shelf-life of meat products has two fundamental purposes:

The use of preservatives in meat processing, contrary to general opinion, is significantly limited these days. To preserve food in modern industrial production, several factors inhibiting microbial growth are used simultaneously which is referred to as the combined method or hurdle technology. Depending on the type of food product, combination of such factors as: appropriate heat dose (F), chilling (t), water activity (aw), acidification (pH), oxidoreductive potential (Eh), preservatives (Ch), is used. Microorganisms can grow with some of them but another hurdle becomes impossible to overcome. Owing to this, the product is preserved and safe with much smaller quantities of these factors. An example of using such technology is a raw aged sausage, such as salami, where product shelf-life is ensured by pH reduction and then by reducing water activity (drying the product).

Meat and meat products can be deemed microbiologically safe when there are no pathogens in the product and the total viable count is low. In meat products, the threshold value is total viable count of 105 in 1g. Fresh meat, in terms of chemical composition and physico-chemical conditions, is a good living environment for bacteria. Only the initially high oxidoreductive potential inhibits bacterial growth by extending the duration of lag phase of the population growth curve. Since pre-historic times, humans have been using various ways to extend useful life of food. The use of chemical preservative substances increased rapidly in the recent years when the market forced food manufacturers to supply goods:

-         with long shelf-life,

-         available all year round,

-         with attractive sensory characteristics,

-         convenient to use.

Use of preservatives results in a reduction or prevention of adverse biological and chemical changes caused by microorganisms, oxidation of food ingredients, enzymatic and non-enzymatic reactions, and in some cases ensuring safe consumption by inhibition of pathogenic growth.

Use of additives to extend shelf-life of meat products has two fundamental purposes:

-          prevent adverse changes caused by biological factors (mainly microflora) for which they are a particularly good living environment;

-          prevent oxidation processes caused by chemical reactions of product ingredients with oxygen.

The use of preservatives in meat processing, contrary to general opinion, is significantly limited these days. To preserve food in modern industrial production, several factors inhibiting microbial growth are used simultaneously which is referred to as the combined method or hurdle technology. Depending on the type of food product, combination of such factors as: appropriate heat dose (F), chilling (t), water activity (aw), acidification (pH), oxidoreductive potential (Eh), preservatives (Ch), is used. Microorganisms can grow with some of them but another hurdle becomes impossible to overcome. Owing to this, the product is preserved and safe with much smaller quantities of these factors. An example of using such technology is a raw aged sausage, such as salami, where product shelf-life is ensured by pH reduction and then by reducing water activity (drying the product).