Ensuring food safety by an innovative fermented sausage manufacturing system

Accelerated production of dry fermented sausages by shortening the drying-ripening process represents one of the new developments in meat product technology and is expected to have a promising future. However, food safety concerns, which could exist when processes are shortened, must be investigated in particular. In the present challenge test, the fate of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella was investigated in acid (pH 4.8) and low-acid (pH 5.3) chorizo that were fermented, thermally treated and dried either by the accelerated drying system QDS process (R) or the traditional process. Even though the innovative QDS process (R) substantially shortened the drying time when compared to the traditional drying system, results showed that in case of low level contamination of raw meat, the same product safety was achieved. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.