Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) are generally recognized as safe. It has been used to increase the shelf-life of fermented products, and its antimicrobial action is based on the metabolites secretions, such as lactic acid, hydrogen peroxide, reuterin, bacteriocins and the like-bacteriocins substances. It has been proven that LAB are able to inhibit deteriorating bacteria of raw meat, but improper handling of live cultures could lead to spoilage. So, the use of their bacteriocins, small antimicrobial peptides, could be an alternative. Besides reducing the number of spoilage bacteria, it seeks to inhibit pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella, enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli and Listeria. The food industry uses few bacteriocins and now bacterial resistance has been reported. For that reason, the search of novel bacteriocins produced by LAB is a priority. Moreover, the natural microbiota of meat could be a reservoir of LAB.
The food cold chain is an effective tool that allows food markets to maintain food quality and reduce losses. Poor logistics may result in foodborne disease outbreaks and greenhouse gas emissions caused by organic matter decay. The ongoing pandemic of COVID-19 makes it necessary to study the chances of SARS-CoV-2 transmissions in food products. This study reviews cold chain logistics as a handy tool for avoiding food safety risks, including COVID-19. The cold chain of perishables and its proper management make it possible to maintain quality and safety at any stage of the food supply chain. The technology covers each link of the food chain to prevent microbial spoilage caused by temperature fluctuations and the contamination with SARS-CoV-2 associated with perishable foods. Given the lack of knowledge in this field in Latin America, the region needs new research to determine the impact of the cold chain on perishable foodstuffs. The perishable cold chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and the national and international markets require new traceability protocols to minimize the effect of COVID-19.
The effect of six genotypes (Zebu = Z, European Brown Swiss = EBS, Holstein = H, Z × EBS, Zebu × American Brown Swiss = ABS, Z × ABS, Z × H) on carcass and meat characteristics of young bullocks finished under feedlot conditions was tested. The Z × ABS bullocks had the highest (P = 0.001) average daily gain. The highest (P = 0.017) final liveweight was observed with Z × ABS > EBS > H genotypes. The ribeye area was larger (P = 0.012) for EBS bullocks. Both H and EBS bullocks had lowest (P = 0.001) physiological maturity; although the H bullocks had higher (P = 0.006) pelvis and heart fat values. The best (P = 0.014) conformation was obtained with the Z × ABS and Z × EBS genotypes. The greatest amount of marbling (P = 0.001) was obtained with the H genotype. In general, the crossbred genotypes showed better feedlot performance and carcass characteristics, and it seems that Holstein breed could have a an advantage from the marbling score point of view.