Influence of dry and wet beef maturation on the microbiological quality and safety

Abstract

The most used methods for the maturation process are vacuum (wet-aged) and dry (dry-aged), which can influence the microbiological quality and safety of meat for consumption. In this study, we aimed to verify the differences in microbiological quality between beef (Longissimus dorsi) that was wet-aged and dry-aged for 30 days, by quantification of indicator microorganism groups and molecular identification of Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and diarrheagenic Escherichia coli. This study verified that the meat matured by the dry-aged method showed significantly lower counts of total coliforms, aerobic mesophiles, psychrotrophs, and molds and yeasts as compared to wet-aged meat. While the Salmonella spp. was not isolated in any beef sample, L. monocytogenes and enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), and shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) and enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) were isolated only from wet-aged beef. Thus, it was concluded that the superficial dehydration of the meat during dry-aged maturation, if carried out correctly and hygienically, confers higher microbiological quality and can reduce the occurrence of microbiological hazards.