3.3. Storage test of pork
Freshly slaughtered meat, which is nearly sterile, generally becomes contaminated with microorganisms during subsequent cutting and processing stages e.g. by feces, hides and skins, germs on tools, hands or rinsing water [10, 11]. So it is not random that especially surfaces of meat pieces can get contaminated with pathogens like E. coli. To prove the antimicrobial effect of the active film on meat, pork loin pieces were inoculated with 1.3 x 10³ cfu/piece of E. coli DSM 498. Fig. 3 shows, that a count reduction to one forth of the initial inoculum could be observed, while the bacterial count of E. coli on the reference stayed nearly the same after 7 days of storage. As also found in the case of the Gouda cheese, a positive effect of the antimicrobial film on the microbiological status of the meat samples after contamination could be demonstrated.