Background. Fermented organic meat products constitute a constantly growing segment of functional foods. The study aimed to assess the microbial status of organic functional fermented meat products obtained under industrial conditions, especially in terms of the presence of lactic acid bacteria, as well as safety confirmation. The products were evaluated immediately after production and 90 days of refrigerated storage. The research material consisted of 48 fermented organic meat products (pork necks, sausages, loins and hams). The microbiological quality was assessed based on the count of aerobic mesophilic total flora, lactic acid bacteria, yeast/mold, as well as Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli using TEMPO® method, and the presence of Salmonella spp. and Listeria spp. using the plate method.
Results and conclusions. As a result of the research, it was found that the tested fermented meats were characterized by a high number of aerobic mesophilic total flora. Depending on the type of product, different numbers of lactic acid bacteria, yeast and mold were found. Bacteria from the Enterobacteriaceae family were also counted, and in some meats, the presence of Salmonella spp. and Listeria spp. was found. Depending on the type of product, a significant improvement or deterioration of microbiological quality was observed during refrigerated storage. This is typical of organic products due to variation in the quality of organic raw materials, as well as the lack of additives in organic meat production. At the same time, these products can be a good source of beneficial microorganisms in human diet, due to high number of lactic acid bacteria.