Castleknock, Dublin 15, Ireland.
E-mail: jsheridan@NFC.TEAGASC.IE
Website: http://www.teagasc.ie

Role and Contribution

Participant 4 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. Specifically: Determination of the influence of the structural properties of meat on pathogen adhesion and survival. Assessment of the effects of the natural microflora on the growth and survival of pathogens on meat surfaces. Determination of the effects of environmental stresses on pathogens during meat refrigeration. Determination of the effects of packaging and storage on the survival and growth of pathogens on beef.
  
• 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.