A Survey of Retail Cold Sliced Meats

Project start date: 1 December 2008
Project status: Completed
Project type: Food safety
Discipline: Microbiology and food hygiene
Author/s: Dr Robert Madden, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Belfast

To investigate foodborne organisms in ready-to-eat cold sliced meats on sale in retail environments in Ireland.

Outputs

Title: Unpublished report
Date: 5 July 2009
Summary: This survey provided valid and reliable data on the numbers and range of the complete list of foodborne indicator organisms from ready-to-eat cold cooked sliced meats sold at retail throughout the Republic of Ireland.
Findings:
In addition, information on the incidence of Clostridium botulinum toxin in such products was provided, as was data on the chemical composition and water activity of the products tested.

The extent and range of products tested, together with the breadth of analyses undertaken, identified the extent to which such products contribute to the foodborne infections and illnesses in Ireland.

This data complements similar surveys carried out in recent years in Great Britain, where the incidence of listeriosis has increased in recent years.