Strategies for controlling pathogens and use of indicator cells in the meat chain. (SAFEMEAT)

The overall objective of the project is to provide slaughterhouses and cutting plants with strategies for controlling their most common pathogens: Salmonella in poultry and pork, Listeria monocytogenes in beef and pork. This requires, in the first instance, a better understanding of the critical points, contamination sources and -routes and persistence of these pathogens in production environments. This is obtained by thorough sampling at companies in combination with genetic typing. In addition, for Listeria monocytogenes, the potential outbreak in the chain of slaughterhouse to cuttery must be investigated to correctly estimate the risk related to the storage-, time- and temperature conditions in the fresh meat chain.