Survival of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in raw fermented sausages during production and storage

Area of Science:

• Food microbiology
• Zoonotic diseases
• Veterinary medicine

Background:

• Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) is linked to paratuberculosis and is a potential zoonotic pathogen.
• Meat consumption is a possible route for human exposure to MAP.
• Limited data exists on MAP survival during meat ripening and fermentation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the survival of MAP during the production and storage of fermented meat products.
• To assess the efficacy of ripening and fermentation in reducing MAP viability in sausages.

Main Methods:

• Teewurst and dry fermented sausage production incorporating MAP.
• Monitoring MAP viability during processing and 4 weeks of storage.
• Utilizing real-time PCR for MAP quantification.

Main Results:

• Short ripening in teewurst did not reduce MAP counts; viable bacteria were detected after 4 weeks.
• No viable MAP was recovered from dry fermented sausage, but real-time PCR showed no reduction in MAP counts during production and storage.
• MAP resistance to food processing methods like fermentation and ripening was observed.

Conclusions:

• Consumption of raw fermented meat products could be a potential transmission route for MAP to humans.
• Current fermentation and ripening processes may not effectively eliminate MAP from meat products.
• Further research is needed to determine the impact of foodborne MAP exposure on human health.