Suzie's Tips ... Delicious Food and Keeping it Safe

USDA and Dry Sausage Industry Act - Reducing Bacterial Risk ( 1) Fermentation is one of the oldest methods of preserving meats. In this procedure, a mixture of curing ingredients, such as salt and sodium nitrite, and a "starter" culture of acid-bacteria, is mixed with chopped and ground meat, placed in casings, fermented and then dried. The amount of acid produced during fermentation and the lack of moisture in the finished product after drying typically have been shown to cause pathogenic bacteria to die. Dry sausages -- such as pepperoni, Lebanon bologna and summer sausage, have had a good safety record for hundreds of years. But in December 1994, some children and adults became ill after eating dry cured salami and sausages from a California plant. Illnesses reported from this outbreak are believed to represent the first time this product has been associated with E. coli O157:H7. These illnesses have raised some questions about the effectiveness of processes for producing dry fermented sausage free of this deadly organism. Part 2 - coming tomorrow! Until then, Suzie More health Issues Advice? Health Issues - Medicines - Treatments Posted: Friday 13th May 2005, 12:56 AM

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