Meat fermentation at a crossroads: where the age-old interplay of human, animal, and microbial diversity and contemporary markets meet

Abstract

Abstract Despite being part of the now often unfavourably perceived category of processed meats, fermented meats remain of substantial nutritional, economic, and cultural importance in today’s foodscapes. This translates into a vast assortment of different products. Fermentation is driven by microorganisms (e.g. in fermented sausages), although the terminology is sometimes used to also designate products in which microbial contributions are less dominant and that depend primarily on the activity of endogenous meat enzymes (e.g. in raw hams). A summary is given of the main microbial groups that characterize various types of meat and, in particular, their fermented derivatives. Moreover, it is argued that producers of fermented meat products struggle to adapt to a contemporary dietary context of change. On the one hand, they wish to reassure consumers by reaffirming the position of fermented meat products as traditional strongholds. On the other hand, producers are trying to alleviate some of the perceived concerns through technological innovation, for instance related to the impact of processing on food safety and health. This review raises the point that these sometimes contradictory trends can affect the choice of meat type, ingredients, and processing parameters, and how these choices, in turn, can affect microbial diversity.