Attachment of Bacteria to Meat Surfaces: A Review

The mechanism of attachment of bacteria to meat surfaces involves two consecutive stages. During the primary stage, bacterial attachment is probably due to physical forces, and the number of bacteria becoming attached is proportional to the number in the water film over the surface. The second stage is initially characterized by an increased strength of attachment due to polysaccharide formation, which is a time-dependent process. The dependence of attachment on various factors such as bacterial strain, type of meat surface, temperature, culturing method, etc. is discussed. Some potential consequences of attachment on slaughter hygiene, kitchen hygiene and methodology are described.