User-friendly software tools for predicting the shelf life of meat and meat products

Predictive microbiology has become an important tool for shelf life assessment, process optimization, and microbial risk management in meat systems. Despite extensive academic development, the adoption of predictive tools by the meat industry remains limited, mainly due to constraints related to usability, data requirements, and the need for specialized expertise. This scoping review examines user-friendly predictive microbiology software tools applicable to meat and meat products, with emphasis on their relevance for durability studies and challenge tests under realistic processing and storage conditions. A systematic scoping literature survey was performed using combinations of the descriptors "predictive microbiology software", "shelf life prediction", "meat", and "meat products", resulting in the identification of 76 predictive platforms, of which 20 were considered accessible and operationally feasible for industrial environments. Rather than applying numerical rankings, these tools were critically assessed using a structured qualitative framework considering modeling architecture (primary, secondary, and tertiary models), required input variables, ability to handle dynamic temperature profiles, type of microbial endpoint (pathogen-focused versus spoilage-related), usability for non-specialist users, and practical applicability for shelf life validation. Most available tools effectively describe microbial behavior under controlled conditions and support product formulation, cold-chain evaluation, and process design. However, only a limited subset integrates spoilage-related endpoints, consumer rejection thresholds, or product-specific resilience, which are essential for realistic shelf life determination. In addition, most models remain pathogen-centered, with limited consideration of spoilage microbiota, microbial consortia, and fluctuating storage conditions. Practical perspectives are discussed to facilitate the integration of predictive microbiology tools into routine shelf life validation and decision-making processes within the meat industry.