A survey on the microbiological changes during the manufacture of dry-cured lacón, a Spanish traditional meat product.

This article describes a microbiological study carried out on lacón, a dry-cured meat product made in the north-west of Spain from the fore extremity of pig. Using classical methods, aerobic mesophilic flora, salt-tolerant flora, lactic acid bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, enterococci, moulds and yeasts were enumerated, some physicochemical parameters (pH, aw and moisture and NaCl contents) were determined and a representative number of isolates of the salt-tolerant flora (the main microbial group) were identified during the manufacture of five batches. All the microbial groups, with the exception of Enterobacteriaceae and enterococci, reached maximum counts both on the surface and in the interior of the pieces at the end of the post-salting stage and afterwards progressively dropped during the drying-ripening stage. Staphylococcus xylosus, Staph. saprophyticus, Staph. simulans, Staph. sciuri and Micrococcus luteus were the main species isolated throughout manufacturing. This study will significantly increase knowledge of the microbiology of cured meat products made from entire pieces.