ABSTRACT
Meat is one of the most valuable and demanding food products. Worldwide meat consumption is growing and the variety of products available as convenience foods is on the increase. There are a wide variety of meat products that are attractive to consumers because of their characteristic colour, flavour and texture. Fermented meat is a type of dried meat that has been prepared and dehydrated according to specific techniques that alter some of the chemical make-up of normally perishable foods. Cultures for food fermentations are selected primarily on the basis of their stability and their ability to produce desired products or changes efficiently. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are essential agents during meat fermentation improving hygienic and sensory quality of the final product. Its fermentative metabolism prevents the development of spoilage and pathogenic microflora by acidification of the product, also contributing to its colour stabilization and texture improvement.
