The shelf life of the meat and the meat products is the storage time until spoilage, which is a complex condition in which the combination of biological and
physicochemical activities may interact and make the product unacceptable for human consumption.
Maximum acceptable microbial level and/or unacceptable off-odor and off-flavor identify the exact point of spoilage, which is strictly dependent on the initial
numbers and types of contaminating microorganisms, their growth, lipid oxidation, and autolytic enzymatic reactions. The Meat and the fish, due to their physicchemical characteristics, are excellent basic nutrients for microbial activity. Indeed the pH, aw (activity water), and high moisture values can support the growth
of a wide variety of microorganisms. |
