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Influence of pathogen contamination on beef microbiota under different storage temperatures
HyeLim Choi1, Bo Kyoung Hwang1, Bong-Soo Kim2
1Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Center for Food Safety and Toxicology, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
Food Research International (Ottawa, Ont.)
|April 26, 2020
Summary
Pathogen contamination in beef, like Escherichia coli, accelerates spoilage and alters the meat
Area of Science:
- Food Microbiology
- Meat Science
- Microbial Ecology
Background:
- Food poisoning outbreaks linked to contaminated beef are increasing.
- Pathogen contamination significantly impacts beef spoilage and food safety.
- Understanding beef microbiota shifts is crucial for evaluating food safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze how pathogen contamination affects beef microbiota composition and interactions.
- To investigate the role of storage conditions (25°C vs. 4°C) on beef microbiota shifts.
- To identify key microbial players and metabolic pathways involved in beef spoilage.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of beef microbiota shifts using the MiSeq system.
- Artificial contamination experiments with Escherichia coli FORC_044.
- Co-occurrence network analysis to determine microbial interactions.
- Prediction of microbial community functions and metabolic pathways.
Main Results:
- Escherichia coli presence and abundance increased at 25°C.
- Pathogen contamination positively correlated with indigenous microbes like Pseudomonas and Staphylococcus.
- Spoilage-related pathways, such as acetic and lactic acid biosynthesis, were upregulated, especially in contaminated beef at 25°C.
- Carnobacterium negatively correlated with other microbes and was a key genus in spoilage pathway shifts.
Conclusions:
- Pathogen contamination significantly influences beef microbiota composition and dynamics.
- Storage temperature exacerbates the impact of contamination on microbial shifts and spoilage.
- This study provides insights into pathogen-microbiota interactions and their role in meat spoilage.
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