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European spontaneous traditional fermented meat products characterization and study of their microbial communities.

The high quantity of spontaneous fermented sausages from different Mediterranean European Countries represents a relatively unexplored reservoirs of microbial biodiversity within which it is possible to find new microorganisms with relevant technological properties. With this aim, several spontaneously fermented European meat products have been collected from artisanal producers in Italy, Spain, Slovenia and Croatia and analysed for their chemicophysical, aromatic and safety features. Moreover, their microbial populations have been studied both with cultivation-dependent and metagenomic techniques in order to highlight the richness of microbial biodiversity. The results showed that each product differed in terms of aromatic and microbiological characteristics depending on the raw material quality and type, recipes, production techniques and fermentation and maturation conditions. In addition, the lactic acid bacteria biodiversity found can valorise the bacterial genetic heritage present in Mediterranean fermented products. In fact, the exploitation of these microbial biodiversity by bioprospecting of strains isolated from these environments can represent an effective strategy to find strains of industrial importance, filling the gap between the laboratory results and efficacy in the production field, being autochthonous strains more suitable for adaptation in specific ecological niches.

bioprotective cultures, spontaneous fermented sausages, Mediterranean foods, biodiversity

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