75 Iera Odos, Athens 11855, Greece
Tel: +30-210-529 4693
Fax: +30-210-529 4693
E-mail : gjn@auadec.aua.gr, kkoutsou@agro.auth.gr
Website: http://www.aua.gr

Role and Contribution

The contribution of Participant 3 includes the following tasks:

• Study of the effect of significant ecological and physiological factors such as food structure, microbial competition and physiological stage of the cells to the growth potential of pathogens and spoilage bacteria of meat products.
  
• Production of a significant number of growth data of dominating meat pathogens for a variety of meat products stored under different temperatures and atmosphere conditions.
  
• The quantitative expression of the effect of the above factors by developing accurate mathematical models.
  
• Generation and collection of data of prevalence and concentration of pathogens on meat raw material, meat chill chain conditions and consumption patterns.
  
• Combination of these data with validated mathematical models for risk assessment of meat products.
  
• Evaluation of the applicability of TTI and SMAS with laboratory and field studies.

Participant 3 is the leader of the WP1 and contributes in WP2, WP4 and WP5. Participant3 contributes to the following main objectives of the project:

• Modelling the effect of food structure, microbial interactions and dynamic storage conditions on meat pathogens and spoilage bacteria.
  
• Validated pathogen growth models will be applied to assess risk of specific meat products upon consumption.
  
• Combination of validated pathogen growth models with data on prevalence/concentration, dose response and chill chain conditions for risk assessment with and without SMAS application.
  
• Evaluation of the applicability and effectiveness of SMAS in real conditions of meat distribution. Assessment of the industry acceptance of the TTI and the concept of chill chain management.

1. Nychas, G.J.E, Drosinos, E., and Board, R.G.,(1998). Chemical changes in stored meat. In: The Microbiology of Meat and Poultry. Ed. Board, R.G. and Davies, A.R. pp. 288-326. London:Blackie Academic and Professional.
   
   
2. Nychas, G.J.E, & Drosinos, E. (1999) Meat and poultry spoilage In; Encyclopedia of Food Microbiology (Eds R. Robisnson, C. Batt and P. Patel) Academic Press, London
   
   
3. Tsigarida, E., Skandamis, P., and Nychas, G.J-E. (2000) Behaviour of Listeria monocytogenes annd autochthonous flora on meat stored under aerobic, vacuum and modified atmosphere packaging conditions with or without the presence of oregano essential oil at 5 oC. J. App. Microbiol., 89, 901-909
   
   
4. Koutsoumanis K. 2001. Predictive modelling of the shelf life of fish under non-isothermal conditions. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67(4), 1821-1829
   
   
5. Koutsoumanis, K., Lambropoulou, K., & Nychas, G-J., E., (1999) Biogenic and Sensory Changes Associated with the Microbial Flora of Mediterranean gilt?head seabream (Sparus aurata) stored aerobically at 0, 8, and 15°C. J. Food Protect. 62: 398-
   
   
6. Koutsoumanis, K. & Nychas, G-J. E (2000) Application of a Systematic Experimental Procedure in Order to Develop a Microbial Model for Rapid Fish Shelf Life Predictions. Int. J. Food Microbiol. 60, 171-184  
   
   
7. Koutsoumanis, M. Taoukis, P., Drosinos, E., & Nychas, G-J.(2000) Applicability of an Arrhenius model for combined effect of temperature and CO2 packaging on the spoilage microflora of fish. Appl.Environ. Microbiol. 66, 3528-3534