Pathogen Reductions during Traditional Fermentation and Drying of Pork Salamis

Traditional salami products are increasing in popularity in the United States. Meat processors strive to create high-quality niche products that are similar in quality to salamis of European origins, while also ensuring food safety. This experiment investigated the impact of casing type and an antimicrobial intervention on pathogen reductions in a non-heat treated pork salami. Cubed pork was experimentally inoculated with three strains each of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (EC), Salmonella spp. (S), and Listeria monocytogenes (LM) and sprayed with water (CTRL) or a 2.5% antimicrobial solution (TRT) prior to grinding. Dry ingredients and starter culture were mixed into the ground pork prior to its being stuffed into ~50 mm natural, collagen, and fibrous casings. Salamis were fermented (72 h), dried (21 days), vacuum-packaged, and stored at 20–22°C (28 days). No significant difference was observed between CTRL and TRT sausages, regardless of casing type, for pathogen populations during the sampling period. A 5 log10 CFU/g reduction was achieved for S and LM by the end of storage, but no combination of casing type and treatment achieved a 5 log10 CFU/g reduction of EC. This study validated the safety of fermented salamis manufactured without thermal processing and any additional lethality processes following fermentation and drying.