A number of ready-to-use shelf stable meat products have been developed by using a combination of hurdles (irradiation, reduced water activity, and vacuum packing). The effectiveness of these hurdles in preventing the growth of Clostridium sporogenes,
Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus in these products was tested. Radiation sensitivity (D10 values) of S. aureus, C. sporogenes
and B. cereus in intermediate moisture (IM) mutton kababs were found to be 0.36, 3.0 and 0.29 kGy respectively. Radiation
treatment (2.5 kGy) resulted in complete elimination of inoculated 106 cfu of S. aureus and B. cereus but not of C. sporogenes. The
water activity ( aw) of 0.85 and vacuum packaging of products prevented the growth of all three organisms inoculated into these
samples during 3 months of storage at room temperature. Irradiation usefully inactivated yeast and molds which otherwise grow in
the kababs after 2months of storage. Numbers of B. cereus decreased during storage. The studies demonstrated that a combination
of the above hurdles result in microbiologically safe and shelf-stable meat products.
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