Assessment of microbiological quality and safety of marinated pork products from German retail during shelf life

Foodborne diseases are of major concern for public health. Here we assess the microbiological quality and safety of marinated pork steaks (n = 300) and marinades (n = 30) which were used for the production of marinated steaks by analyzing quantitative microbiological parameters and foodborne pathogens. Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes were isolated from about 2%, Staphylococcus aureus from 8% and Bacillus cereus from 21% of the steaks. One steak was MRSA-positive and one contained EHEC/STEC. B. cereus was the only pathogen detected in the marinades. Similar toxin patterns of B. cereus strains from meat and marinades suggested that a contamination of meat with B. cereus occurred via marinades.