MECHANISM AND DETECTION OF MICROBIAL SPOILAGE IN MEATS AT LOW TEMPERATURES: A STATUS REPORT1,2

Abstract

After 80 years of research, we do not yet know the precise mechanisms by which meats, poultry, and seafoods undergo microbial spoilage at low temperatures. While over 40 different methods have been proposed for detecting incipient spoilage during this time, the lack of general agreement on the validity of any of these methods reflects in large part our lack of agreement on a precise definition of microbial spoilage. Several of the more recently proposed methods for detecting spoilage are discussed in terms of their contribution to our knowledge of spoilage mechanisms along with a brief review of historical beginnings.