The microbiota of meat consists of microorganisms (including the pathogens) associated with the raw material,
acquired during handling/processing and surviving the preservation and storage. The general scenarios by which
meat become contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, viruses and parasites include: i) contact with human/animal
sewage/feces; ii) contact with infected meat handlers, e.g. ubiquitous bacteria on the skin, nose and throat of healthy
individuals; iii) environmental contamination (airborne, water, food contact surfaces), e.g. pathogens ubiquitous in
nature. Such contamination may arise at any point along the meat chain continuum, `from farm to fork` (meat chain
modules I-V, Table 1) and may originate from any number of sources.