ASAS Centennial Paper: Developments and future outlook for postslaughter food safety.

Meat has been important to human survival and personal enjoyment for thousands of years, and as societies become more affluent, the amount and quality of meat consumed increases. Ancient Egyptians are known to have consumed ground meat, whereas the Greeks and Romans enjoyed various types of sausages. Ground meat has been consumed throughout the world under various names and for several centuries. However, in recent years, microbial meat safety has become a major concern, and it appears that meat safety challenges will persist in future years. This paper provides a brief historical account of selected developments in microbiology, meat science, and safety, and associated industrial and regulatory highlights, and a brief overview of current and future food safety issues, concerns, and challenges.