Specificity of the production of traditional meat products and their safety using polish traditional cured meat products as example

Traditional meat products, particularly cured meat products, represent a specific group of products with large consumers in many countries of the world. The methods of producing them, depending on the country and region from which they originate, make them significantly different from their industrially produced equivalents; they may influence the microbiological quality of such products, making their health safety significant. The aim of this study is to determine the microbiological quality of polish traditional cured meat products manufactured in the North-eastern part of Poland (Warmia and Mazury, Pomerania and Podlasie). Nine types of cured meat products manufactured by four producers were investigated. In total, 90 samples of cured meat products were tested. The tests did not reveal the presence of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli or Salmonella species in the cured meat products. In one of the products tested (Szynka Wedzona z Mazurskiej Masarni raw), the presence of Listeria monocytogenes was detected, and in two of the products tested (Szynka Wedzona z Mazurskiej Masarni raw and Kindziuk from Punsk), Staphylococcus xylosus was detected. The total count of mesophilic aerobic microorganisms (TVC) ranged between 2.48 log cfu/g in Poledwica Wedzona z Mazurskiej Masarni to 6.45 log cfu/g in Wątrobianka, with the average values ranging from 2.99 to 5.56 log cfu/g (depending on the type of product tested). Own studies indicate that polish traditional meat products have no significance as a source of food borne pathogens; however, maintaining sanitary regimes seems to be essential for assuring quality and safety of these special products.