In general, when processing venison and other meats there are three types of bacteria that processors deal with; good bacteria, spoilage bacteria and pathogenic bacteria. An example of good bacteria would be the lactic acid starter culture bacteria that are often added during the manufacture of summer sausage and snack sticks. Spoilage bacteria cause food products to spoil and become unacceptable for consumption. High levels of spoilage bacteria cause products to have a slimy texture, off odors and generally not look good. Spoiled products should not be consumed.
Bacteria that cause human illness or disease are termed pathogenic. You cannot visually tell if pathogenic bacteria are present. Often ingestion of just a few pathogenic bacteria can cause problems. Approximately 90% of all foodborne illnesses are caused by pathogenic bacteria. When we thermal process venison products, we are concerned with destroying both pathogenic bacteria and spoilage bacteria.