Chapter Microbial Ecology of Fermented Sausages and Dry-Cured Meats

Spontaneous fermentation has been used as a method for preservation and keeping of the qualities of the highly perishable food for hundreds of years. Meat fermentation probably dates from the Roman Empire, although there are some early records about fermented meat products in China (Zeuthern 2007). Production relies on the lactic acid fermentation in combination with salting and drying (Adams and Moss 2008).