Variation in the microbiological quality of commercially produced vacuum-packed cooked sliced meat between production and the end of shelf-life.

A study of the microbiological quality of cooked, sliced vacuum-packed meat was undertaken. Three hundred and eighty-one samples were taken (127 sets of three samples) from 55 commercial premises that produced packets of sliced, cooked, vacuum-packed meat for retail sale. The set of three samples consisted of one from the unsliced, cooked meat, one from the sliced product immediately after slicing, and one sliced packet for end of shelf-life testing. Samples were examined for aerobic colony count (ACC), Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli, Listeria, and Salmonella. When compared to current UK guidelines for the quality of ready to eat food, samples were found to be unsatisfactory for ACC, Enterobacteriaceae, and E. coli. Unsatisfactory rates increased at the end of shelf-life compared to the unsliced meat sample results. No samples were positive for Listeria monocytogenes or Salmonella. This data is important for producers setting the shelf-life of their products.