Handbook of Fermented Meat and Poultry

Report of the Scientific Committee of the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) on the establishment of shelf‐life of certain ready‐to‐eat foods sliced or cut and packaged before sale in retail establishments

“…Therefore, most cured meat derivatives do not undergo any heat treatment, meaning that they are usually consumed raw (FAO, 2010). Nowadays, you can find a wide variety of products that are marketed as whole pieces, or sliced and packaged (Toldrá, 2015). From a microbiological point of view, they are products that could be considered safe, depending on the pH levels (4.6-5.3) and a w (≤0.92) due to the fermentation and salting processes.…”