Development of traditional production of dry fermented sausages with protected designation of origin in order to obtain safe products of standard quality

Traditional meat products, dry fermented sausages, which are coming from particular geographic areas of Serbia, such as Petrovská klobása and Sremski kulen sausages, are mainly produced in rural households, according to experience and traditional technology, but also in registered meat processing plants. The quality of final products is affected by numerous factors. Variability of this quality limits the possibility for achieving higher production rates and presence of these products at foreign markets. Beside uniform quality, very important requirement for inclusion of these products in the international trade is gratification of criteria in terms of hygienic and technological conditions, regarding to guaranteed and verified safety. The proposed project aims to standardize the production of these two sausages in controlled conditions, preserving the characteristic properties and superior quality. In order to achieve this goal it is necessary to fully understand physicochemical, biochemical and microbiological changes during spontaneous fermentation of these products in traditional manufacturing process. Then, to isolate and characterize microorganisms responsible for fermentation, to carry out a selection of cultures and develop a starter culture for fermentation in industrial conditions. The implementation of those objectives will save the authenticity of traditional products, assure their quality and thus enable the organized placement of these products on the EU market.