A method for sterilizing a ground meat product through the application supercritical CO.sub.2 during the processing of the meat by introducing supercritical CO.sub.2 into an extruder as the meat passes through the extruder while controlling the pressure and speed at which the meat passes through the extruder to maintain the meat in contact with the supercritical CO.sub.2 for a time sufficient to achieve a log reduction in colony forming units of microbial contaminants.