Overlap of Spoilage-Associated Microbiota between Meat and the Meat Processing Environment in Small-Scale and Large-Scale Retail Distributions

Abstract

Microbial contamination in food processing plants can play a fundamental role in food quality and safety. The aims of this study were to learn more about the possible influence of the meat processing environment on initial fresh meat contamination and to investigate the differences between small-scale retail distribution (SD) and large-scale retail distribution (LD) facilities. Samples were collected from butcheries (n ‫؍‬ 20), including LD (n ‫؍‬ 10) and SD (n ‫؍‬ 10) facilities, over two sampling campaigns. Samples included fresh beef and pork cuts and swab samples from the knife, the chopping board, and the butcher's hand. The microbiota of both meat samples and environmental swabs were very complex, including more than 800 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) collapsed at the species level. The 16S rRNA sequencing analysis showed that core microbiota were shared by 80% of the samples and included Pseudomonas spp., Streptococcus spp., Brochothrix spp., Psychrobacter spp., and Acinetobacter spp. Hierarchical clustering of the samples based on the microbiota showed a certain separation between meat and environmental samples, with higher levels of Proteobacteria in meat. In particular, levels of Pseudomonas and several Enterobacteriaceae members were significantly higher in meat samples, while Brochothrix, Staphylococcus, lactic acid bacteria, and Psychrobacter prevailed in environmental swab samples. Consistent clustering was also observed when metabolic activities were considered by predictive metagenomic analysis of the samples. An increase in carbohydrate metabolism was predicted for the environmental swabs and was consistently linked to Firmicutes, while increases in pathways related to amino acid and lipid metabolism were predicted for the meat samples and were positively correlated with Proteobacteria. Our results highlighted the importance of the processing environment in contributing to the initial microbial levels of meat and clearly showed that the type of retail facility (LD or SD) did not apparently affect the contamination. IMPORTANCEThe study provides an in-depth description of the microbiota of meat and meat processing environments. It highlights the importance of the environment as a contamination source of spoilage bacteria, and it shows that the size of the retail facility does not affect the level and type of contamination. Meat is a complex niche with chemical and physical properties that allow the colonization and development of a variety of microorganisms, especially bacteria (1, 2). Several factors can influence the occurrence of microbes in meat. After slaughtering, meat can be contaminated by microorganisms from water, air, and soil, as well as from the workers and equipment involved in the processing. In the later processing steps of the fresh meat chain (i.e., handling, cutting, and storage), abiotic factors such as temperature, gaseous atmosphere, pH, and NaCl levels select for certain bacteria, allowing colonization of the meat surface by different spoilage-related species and...

Potentially active spoilage bacteria community during the storage of vacuum packaged beefsteaks treated with aqueous ozone and electrolyzed water

“…were identified as the core microbiota of the raw meat before the treatments, since they are commonly reported as contaminants in beef from processing environments (de Filippis et al, 2013; Stellato et al, 2016). 312…”

RNA-Based Amplicon Sequencing Reveals Microbiota Development during Ripening of Artisanal versus Industrial Lard d'Arnad

“…It is probably introduced by salt or spices or originating during the slicing process, and its development is favored under refrigerated conditions, indicating that refrigerated fermented meat can be an ideal niche for this species (22). P. fragi is often associated with spoilage ability in several food matrices (e.g., milk, cheese, meat, and seafood) (23)(24)(25)(26), and aerobic storage of meat at low temperatures can provide an ecological advantage to P. fragi (14). Brochothrix, S. sciuri, and Salinisphaera were clearly associated with C samples.…”

Microbiological and physicochemical parameters for predicting quality of fat and low‐fat raw ground beef during refrigerated aerobic storage

“…Moreover, as expected, concomitantly with pH rise, WHC also increased at each temperature during storage especially in LFM (Figure 1). The microbial quality of meat mainly depends on the physiological status of the animal at slaughter and the contamination of meat in slaughterhouse during processing, transport, and storage, as reported by several authors (Doulgeraki et al, 2012;Nychas et al, 2008;Stellato et al, 2016). Contamination from the equipment surfaces and slaughtering tools is critical determinant of meat hygiene (Stellato et al, 2016).…”

“…The microbial quality of meat mainly depends on the physiological status of the animal at slaughter and the contamination of meat in slaughterhouse during processing, transport, and storage, as reported by several authors (Doulgeraki et al, 2012;Nychas et al, 2008;Stellato et al, 2016). Contamination from the equipment surfaces and slaughtering tools is critical determinant of meat hygiene (Stellato et al, 2016). It has been reported that the dominant microorganisms in meat stored under aerobic conditions are generally pseudomonads that can be associated with slime and off-odors when present at the levels of 7 to 8 log 10 CFU/g (Nychas et al, 2008;Wickramasinghe, Ravensdale, Coorey, Chandry, & Dykes, 2019).…”