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In the dairy industry, traditional heat treatments are known for their high water and energy consumption, and more economically and environmentally friendly solutions are being sought. Infrared (IR) technology offers advantages in energy efficiency and environmental sustainability; however, its effectiveness in milk processing, particularly in pathogen inactivation, remains relatively unexplored. In this study, homogenized raw milk was subjected to IR treatment, and its impact on Listeria monocytogenes , Salmonella spp., and Enterobacteriaceae was assessed. Results indicate that IR treatment effectively reduces the microbial load, achieving levels of inactivation comparable to conventional pasteurization methods (around 6 Log 10 CFU/mL). Moreover, the treatment maintains milk pH levels, suggesting minimal alteration to its composition. Further research is needed to explore the full extent of IR treatment on milk sanitation efficacy, deeply exploring IR technology to fully assess its applicability and integration into dairy processing practices. Despite regulatory challenges, the Wir System Milk shows promise as a cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative for raw milk treatment., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: the authors declare no potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024, the Author(s).)

Dry-aged meat is gaining popularity among food business operators and private consumers. The process is carried out in aerobic conditions by hanging beef carcasses or placing subprimal or primal cuts in a dedicated cabinet for several weeks or even months while controlling the environment through the management of process parameters such as temperature, relative humidity, and airflow. In this review, we present a critical evaluation of the literature to evaluate tools to manage the process to guarantee food safety and identify critical control points, as well as good hygiene and manufacturing practices. In controlled aging conditions, only Listeria monocytogenes and Yersinia enterocolitica can multiply, while a reduction in the number of Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli O157:H7 is generally reported. Enterobacteriaceae usually decrease on the surface of the meat during maturation; thus, for the purpose of the hygiene evaluation of the production process, a count no higher than that of unmatured meat is expected. Besides, various studies report that the total bacterial count and the spoilage microorganisms significantly increase on the surface of the meat, up to 5-6 Log 10 CFU/g in the absence of visible spoilage. Bacteria of the Pseudomonas genus tend to progressively replace other microorganisms during maturation; thus, the total mesophilic or psychrophilic bacterial load is not a good indicator of process hygiene for matured meat. Critical parameters for the control of the process are temperature, relative humidity, and ventilation, which should be monitored during the process. For this reason, equipment designed and certified for dry-aging must be used, and the manufacturer must validate the process. Food business operators must apply general good manufacturing practices (GMP) and good hygiene practices (GHP) for meat processing and some GMP and GHP specific for dry-aging. Several research needs were identified, among them the evolution of the populations of L. monocytogenes and Y. enterocolitica and the microbiology of the inner parts of the dry-aged meat., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: the authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024, the Author(s).)

In this pilot study, we compared the metagenomic profiles of different types of artisanal fermented meat products collected in Italy, Greece, Portugal, and Morocco to investigate their taxonomic profile, also in relation to the presence of foodborne pathogens and antimicrobial resistance genes. In addition, technical replicates of the same biological sample were tested to estimate the reproducibility of shotgun metagenomics. The taxonomic analysis showed a high level of variability between different fermented meat products at both the phylum and genus levels. Staphylococcus aureus was identified with the highest abundance in Italian fermented meat; Escherichia coli in fermented meat from Morocco; Salmonella enterica in fermented meat from Greece; Klebsiella pneumoniae and Yersinia enterocolitica in fermented meat from Portugal. The fungi Aspergillus , Neosartoria , Emericella , Penicillum and Debaryomyces showed a negative correlation with Lactococcus , Enterococcus , Streptococcus , Leuconostoc and Lactobacillus . The resistome analysis indicated that genes conferring resistance to aminoglycoside, macrolide, and tetracycline were widely spread in all samples. Our results showed that the reproducibility between technical replicates tested by shotgun metagenomic was very high under the same conditions of analysis (either DNA extraction, library preparation, sequencing analysis, and bioinformatic analysis), considering both the degree of overlapping and the pairwise correlation., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: the authors declare no potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024, the Author(s).)

Dry aging is a process during which meat is stored within maturation chambers at low temperatures and low relative humidity, resulting in improved tenderness and flavor development. The cuts are exposed to the atmosphere by hanging them or setting them on racks in the maturation chamber without any protective packaging. Animals and humans are usually the major sources of bacterial food contamination in the meat industry, but other routes might be involved. Therefore, procedures to reduce or eliminate pathogens from surfaces are crucial for an effective hazard analysis critical control point program in the food industry and other environments. This study aimed to assess the survival of Listeria monocytogenes , Escherichia coli , Salmonella spp., and Staphylococcus aureus on the inner surface of dry aging chambers. Moreover, we tested the efficacy of alkaline electrolyzed water (REW) for its application within a procedure aimed at reducing foodborne pathogens during meat storage. Environmental conditions inside the dry aging cabinet determine a reduction of circa 3 log CFU/cm 2 of the considered microorganisms on the inner surface in 24 hours. Additionally, the nebulization of REW with the smoking system increased the count reduction in 24 hours due to environmental conditions for L. monocytogenes (~1 log CFU/cm 2 ) and for S. aureus (~2 log CFU/cm 2 ). In this context, the use of REW can be justified for routine cleaning procedures of the surfaces, with the added value of being safe to handle, not containing environmental pollutants, and making it unnecessary to rinse surfaces due to its instability., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: the authors declare no potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023, the Author(s).)

Alkaline electrolyzed water (REW) is known for its cleaning action. The aim of this work was to assess REW effectiveness in reducing microbial load on surfaces intended for contact with food. Stainlesssteel surfaces were experimentally contaminated, bacterial inactivation was tested before and after treatment with REW. Treatment with REW was operated spraying it on the contaminated plates until drying. Tests were conducted for Salmonella spp., Listeria spp., Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli . The treatment revealed different degrees of sanitizing activity of REW on different bacterial species, with higher efficacy on E . coli and Salmonella spp. than S. aureus , Listeria spp.. Statistical analysis revealed a significant microbial load reduction (p<0.01) after treatment with REW, suggesting that it has a good disinfectant activity which, along with its easy and safe use, makes it a good alternative to many other more widely used disinfectants., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (©Copyright: the Author(s).)