High meat under the microscope

[aariel]

So is there a detailed chemical and biological analysis of what exactly is going on in high meat?
If not, how about a detailed theory?

So for example, I've read that aerobic bacteria are favored, but which species? What exactly is the end product sought?

What yeasts or other fungi are involved? What are their end products?

What role do the anaerobic bacteria in the meat play? Does high meat have higher lactic acid levels than fresh meat?

What principles of high meat production help to ensure that if the meat is contaminated that the pathogens won't proliferate and sicken you?

[TylerDurden]

All one should do is make sure that the high-meat is aerated every so often - failure to do so encoruages potential harmful anaerobic bacteria to form. It's also essential to allow mositure in the high-meat as dry high-meat is useless, IMO.

[aariel]

There are many aerobic pathogenic bacteria and molds. So aeration in and of itself will have no suppressive effect on those types of pathogens.

I was looking for a more technical answer along these lines:

In lacto-fermentation, salt can be used to suppress pathogens until the pH drops low enough from lactic acid production.
Another method is to add a large amount of inoculant and lactic acid to help start at a lower pH, like fresh liquid whey or liquid from a mature ferment.
A basic principle of lacto fermentation is that the lactic acid producing bacteria will eventually out compete the pathogens and produce
enough lactic acid to lower the pH to the point that pathogens cannot survive.

I'm getting the impression that high meat production is a bit of a mystery. Although I can find tons of research on food spoilage and related
pathogenic activity.

I believe one person's high meat is another persons spoiled meat, correct? It's really just a matter of perspective.

[William]

I was looking for a more technical answer along these lines:

You are unlikely to get one, because there is no money or profit for scientists to study it.

I believe one person's high meat is another persons spoiled meat, correct? It's really just a matter of perspective.

People who have tried it (not me) write that commercial/feedlot beef rots, while something else happens to grassfed and grassfinished beef. Maybe fermentation?
Anyway high meat heals, while spoiled meat does the opposite.

[TylerDurden]

I believe one person's high meat is another persons spoiled meat, correct? It's really just a matter of perspective.

I'm afraid so. The only scientific studies that can be related to high-meat are those dealing with bacteria(such as one I once showed that indicated mood-boosting benefits for bacteria-rich foods). But no one's going to do a long-term study of people eating high-meat. So, this thing about high-meat being healthy  one has to take on faith and the multitude of personal anecdotes from RVAFers who state there is no side-effect(well, I've only heard of positive side-effects such as 1 woman complaining that if she ate high-meat too late at night, the usual energy boost she got from it, meant she was too wired to get to sleep at her usual time.

[aariel]

I agree with William--there is no fame or fortune to be made studying high-meat. This is a very big problem right now in science.
Public funding for science has turned into an business subsidy program. There is no money to be made protecting us, so almost no research gets done to prove stuff is unsafe or useless.
Instead most of the research is skewed by the funding source and we now have a body of science that is heavily out of step with reality.

[PaleoPhil]

There are many aerobic pathogenic bacteria and molds. So aeration in and of itself will have no suppressive effect on those types of pathogens.

Except that the anaerobic ones include a real nasty: botulism. That's why it's critical to aerate the high meat, like Tyler mentioned.