Smallgood meats, ready-to-eat

On this page

• Background
• Results

Background

On any given day, between 20% and 50% of Australians consume ready-to-eat (RTE) meats including smallgoods, deli meats, manufactured, fermented and processed meats.

The objective of this survey in 2008 was to determine the microbiological safety of packaged, RTE meat products available for retail sale.

The survey targeted products considered to be higher risk, namely those which have been further processed by slicing and packaged to extend shelf life. Slicing poses a microbiological risk because it is normally undertaken after cooking, creating the potential for recontamination via the slicing blade and handling of the product. Since 2004, there have been 25 recalls of RTE meat products in Australia due to microbiological contamination.

Surveyed products included a range of poultry, pork and beef-based meats among others including:

• chicken and turkey breasts & rolls
• hams, pancetta & prosciutto, and
• cooked, corned, roasted & silverside beefs.

The survey tested 154 samples from supermarkets, greengrocers, farmers markets and retail butcher shops in the greater Sydney area.

The samples were analysed for microorganisms including Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, coagulase positive staphylococci and Salmonella.

Results

Key findings were:

• 95.5% (147 out of 154) of samples met the requirements of the Food Standards Code
• no Salmonella, verotoxigenic E. coli, and Staphylococcus were detected
• E. coli was detected in one sample of ham, just above the limit of detection (4 cfu/g, with limit of detection 3 cfu/g)
• 6 samples were found to contain very low levels of Listeria monocytogenes

 

Full results are available in the report:

Microbiological quality of packaged ready-to-eat meat products, February 2009. 27pp, pdf, 1MB

Also on this site

• Media release
• Listeria management program
• market analysis research background