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Experimental analysis reveals bacterial penetration into meat requires extracellular proteases at maximum cell density, indicating connective tissue breakdown enables deep contamination.
Bacteria are confined to the surface of meat during the logarithmic phase of growth. When proteolytic bacteria approach their maximum cell density, extracellular proteases secreted by the bacteria apparently break down the connective tissue between muscle fibers, allowing the bacteria to penetrate the meat. Non-proteolytic bacteria do not penetrate meat, even when grown in association with proteolytic species.
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Gill et al. (1977) studied this question.
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