Introduction

Meat has traditionally been viewed as a vehicle for a significant proportion of human food-borne disease. Harmful microbes may have little adverse effects on carcass or meat such as visible alterations and spoilage but have severe negative effects on consumers such as food or meat poisoning. Although the spectrum of meat-borne diseases of public health importance has changed with changing production and processing systems, continuation of the problem has been well illustrated in recent years by human surveillance studies of specific meat-borne pathogens such as Escherichia coli O157:H7 (entero pathogenic form), Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp. and Yersinia enterocolitica. In addition to existing biological, chemical and physical hazards, new hazards are also appearing e.g. the agent of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).

The impact of food poisoning depends upon the species of microorganisms, whether ther cause food borne infection or food borne intoxication. Bacteria that cause food borne infections, first multiply to high infectious number in rich protein food (meat) which is ingested by consumer and release toxic substances inside the human digestive tract. For example, 105/g of Salmonella spp is needed to cause Salmonellosis. On the other hand bacteria that cause food borne intoxications produce and release toxins in food during their multiplication outside human body. Consumers when eat intoxicated food suffer from severe illness. For example: Staphylococcus aureus, Clostrodium botulinum release toxins in food during their multiplication.

Other than bacteria, moulds also play a major role in food poisoning. Some virus such as Norovirus is also suspected to cause gastro-intestinal symptoms. Contamination of food by microbes is a public health concern around the world. Episodes of food poisoning due to microbial contamination have led to a large number of food recalls over the years, particularly of meat products that have caused outbreaks of dangerous illness.

Food poisoning due to microbial contamination of meat can be prevented by cooking the meat thoroughly before consumption and observing good hygiene practices during slaughtering, handling and cooking meat. This includes the use of clean utensils, cutting boards, knives, and prevention of cross contamination between raw meat and ready-to-eat foods. An uninterrupted cold chain throughout the entire meat production is very important. If there is a lapse in safe handling practices, cooked meat may still become tainted through cross-contamination.  The spores of some pathogenic bacteria, such as Clostridium perfringens are not easily destroyed during cooking. The heat of cooking can activate those spores to germinate and develop into mature bacteria if the food is kept at ambient temperature for a prolonged period. Raw meat should be cooked thoroughly before consumption. Ready-to-eat cooked meat should be discarded if it has been at room temperature for more than four hours. Cooked and raw meat should be stored in a refrigerator. Besides, health issues of meat and associated meat products regarding hygiene should be addressed properly. The important issues of hygiene include: Personal hygiene, Slaughter and meat processing and equipment hygiene, environmental hygiene.