Finished product critical parameters for dry aging of beef

Hi

Does anyone have any finished product critical parameters for dry aging of beef - there doesn't seem to be much information available on this topic

Thanks in advance

Is the beef smoked beforehand?

This is not my product area of expertise, but I would imagine that moisture content and water activity are crucial to keep microbial load under control...

Greetings Cherry,

Dry aged meat is treated the same way as fresh meat as far as microbial parameters are concerned. This includes EC 2073/2005 like E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, TVC, pathogens (Listeria, Salmonella) etc plus depending on the temperature some additional tests may be prudent to be done, like moulds if the aging is done at above 3^oC.

Campylobacter spp. and Clostridium spp could also be tested once in a while but these are unlikely to be present in comparison to the above mentioned.

Regards!

PS: In dry-aging smoking is not a part of the process, rather the meat is left under specific conditions to "mature" and let enzymes plus some natural occuring microorganisms to tenderize the meat and preserve the flavour. The meat must be cooked (according to personal preferences).

Maybe you can use this publication from EFSA

Microbiological safety of aged meat | EFSA (europa.eu)

Thanks all

CP