From what I have read, (If I remember correctly), it is difficult at best, to make cooked meat shelf stable...(something changes in the meat when cooked).. Raw meats with cure #2 and salt, dehydrated to a Aw (water activity) of around 0.9 and lower is necessary for "shelf stable" meats..
Hurdle technology
While temperature, pH, and several other factors can influence whether and how fast microorganisms will grow, water activity is often the most important factor. Water activity may be combined with other preservative factors (
hurdles), such as temperature, pH, redox potential, etc., to establish conditions that inhibit microorganisms. The water activity level that limits the growth of the vast majority of pathogenic bacteria is 0.90aw (0.70aw for spoilage molds). The lower limit for all microorganisms is 0.60aw.
The following table lists the water activity limits for growth examples of products in those ranges.
Show entries
aw Bacteria Mold Yeast Typical Products
0.97
Clostridium botulinum E
Pseudomonas fluorescens fresh meat, fruits,
vegetables, canned fruit, canned vegetables
0.95
Escherichia coli
Clostridium perfringens
Salmonella spp.
Vibrio cholerae low-salt bacon, cooked sausages,
nasal spray, eye drops
0.94
Clostridium botulinum A, B
Vibrio parahaemolyticus Stachybotrys atra
0.93
Bacillus cereus Rhizopus nigricans some cheeses, cured meat (ham)
bakery goods,
evaporated milk, ral liquid
suspensions, topical lotions
0.92
Listeria monocytogenes
0.91
Bacillus subtilis
0.90
Staphylococcus aureus
(anaerobic) Trichothecium roseum Saccharomyces
cerevisiae
0.88
Candida
0.87
Staphylococcus aureus
(aerobic)
0.85
Aspergillus clavatus sweetened condensed milk, aged cheeses (cheddar), fermented sausage (salami), dried meats (jerky), bacon, most fruit juice concentrates, chocolate syrup, fruit cake, fondants, cough syrup, oral analgesic suspensions
0.84
Byssochlamys nivea
0.83
Penicillium expansum
Penicillium islandicum
Penicillium viridicatum Deharymoces hansenii
0.82
Aspergillus fumigatus
Aspergillus parasiticus
0.81
Penicillium Penicillium cyclopium
Penicillium patulum
0.80
Saccharomyces bailii
0.79
Penicillium martensii
0.78
Aspergillus flavus jam, marmalade, marzipan, glace fruits, molasses, dried figs, heavily salted fish
0.77
Aspergillus niger
Aspergillus ochraceous
0.75
Aspergillus restrictus
Aspergillus candidus
0.71
Eurotium chevalieri
0.70
Eurotium amstelodami
0.62
Saccharomyces rouxii dried fruits, corn syrup, licorice, marshmallows, chewing gums, dried pet foods
0.61
Monascus bisporus
0.60 No microbial proliferation
0.50 No microbial proliferation caramels, toffees, honey, noodles, topical ointments
