General patterns of background microbiota and selected bacterial pathogens during production of fermented sausages in Serbia

The presence of Salmonella spp. or Escherichia coli O157 and background microbiota, pH and aw were determined in raw fermented sausages produced from pork or beef and without lactic acid bacteria starters. The investigation was conducted at five meat processing plants, and the sampling was done at five steps of the production process at each plant. In meat trimmings, total viable count (TVC) ranged around 6 log CFU/g and around 5-6 log CFU/g in the pork and the beef sausages, respectively. Enterobacteriaceae count (EBC) ranged in the vicinity of 3-4 log CFU/g, whilst E. coli count (ECC) ranges were comparably lower (by 1-2 logs). During chopping of both the pork and the beef trimmings, the levels of TVC, EBC and ECC increased by 1-1.5 logs. After the additives and the spices were added, background microbiota tended to slightly decrease, generally more noticeably in pork sausages and with ECC. During the fermentation-drying stage, in both pork and beef sausages, initial TVC levels (6-7 log CFU/g) increased by the mid-process (by approximately 1.5-2 logs) and remained at those levels in finished products. During the same period, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) increased from initial levels of 5.5-6 log CFU/g to around 7-8 log CFU/g in pork and around 8-9 log CFU/g in beef sausages, and became the predominant microbial group. Salmonella spp. was found in the first three stages of the production process (trimmings, trimmings chopping, mixing with additives/spices), in two of three meat processing plants, but not at later stages of the production process. E. coli O157 was found only in one sample of chopped trimmings in one meat processing plant. The background microbiota patterns and levels were, generally, similar to those commonly reported for raw fermented sausages in other published studies. The initial presence of foodborne pathogens in raw fermented sausage production may be considered as a potential meat safety risk, because in the case of high initial pathogen counts, their total elimination cannot be assumed.