EFSA has assessed how bacteria develop in beef, sheep, and pork during refrigeration, storage, and thawing.

The request came from the European Commission, which will use the findings to propose possible amendments to EU legislation to address gaps and inconsistencies in some EU rules on the microbiological safety of meat intended for freezing.

Specifically, EFSA experts examined how storage conditions (such as temperature, vacuum packaging and shelf life) influence microbial growth between slaughter and freezing, based on an equivalence time, i.e. the period during which meat can be stored under alternative conditions without exceeding the microbial levels of the reference scenario considered (meat stored without vacuum packaging at 7°C for 15 days).

Read the main results obtained on the EFSA website.