Clostridium Estertheticum In Vacuum-Packed Beef

GERMANY - According to findings from the Max Rubner Institute there is an increasing number of cases involving contaminated vacuum-packed meat. Typical signs are a swollen package and a foul smell emanating from the meat.
calendar icon 13 July 2010
clock icon 1 minute read

According to experts the cause of this lies in the germ Clostridium estertheticum, which most commonly affects beef.

Although a low risk germ, once contaminated the meat is no longer suitable for human consumption due to the swelling of the packaging and foul smells.

However the German Food Standards Agency believes it is unlikely that the consumption of food contaminated with the germs are a risk to consumers' health.

With little data available on the germ, the Agency have only been able to make a preliminary risk assessment of the bacteria.

It is assumed that the germ is transmitted during the evisceration process and skinning of the carcases. As the bacteria grows, in preferred temperatures of -1.5 - 16 degrees Celsius, it develops gases which lead to the swelling of the vacum packaging.

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