An overall concept for a generic model to predict the remaining shelf life of meat in different steps of the supply chain was developed. It consists of three models: a shelf life model, an inter-organisational cold chain model and a temperature mapping model that includes a heat transfer model. In this concept, shelf life is predicted based on the growth of Pseudomonas sp., taking into account organisational structure, inspection scheme, technical circumstances and temperature conditions in different supply chains. Whereas the shelf life model is almost complete, further work is required to develop the two other models.

Aims:  To investigate the effect of silver‐based antimicrobial material incorporated in the inner liners of refrigerators on food safety and quality. Methods and Results:  In the first stage, the bactericidal effect was tested in the laboratory. Silver‐containing samples and control plates were inoculated with different bacterial suspensions and stored at various temperatures. After defined storage periods the bacterial reduction was calculated by comparing viable cell count on reference plates and on silver‐containing plates. The reduction caused by the silver‐containing material varied between 1·0 and 5·9 log10 units, depending on bacterial strain, incubation time and temperature. In the second stage, food storage experiments have been carried out. Thus, perishable foods were stored in coated and untreated refrigerators. After certain time periods the products were analysed for their sensorial and microbiological characteristics. A clear drop in viable counts both on the refrigerator wall and on the food was demonstrated using the silver‐based antimicrobial material. Conclusions:  Silver prevents refrigerators from being a hot spot for contaminants that could be transferred upon contact with food. Significance and Impact of the Study:  This study provides original results regarding the antimicrobial activity of silver‐containing refrigerator surfaces.

This study is an initiation for a new consumer tool to decontaminate domestic refrigerators.