Traditional sausages—smoked, fermented or dried—are meat products that are part of the traditional daily diet in rural Portugal, and also highly valued in major cities with an increasing demand. These ethnic meat products are manufactured mainly by small-scale industries or artisanal producers according to and/or inspired by traditional processes. They are present in a wide variety of types, many recognized for their quality (38 certified products). Presently, cure technologies used are important for the potential they represent in transformation and diversification. Additionally, they add flavors and colors to meat that are much appreciated, surpassing meat preservation proposes. A review on the types and manufacturing technological aspects associated to Portuguese traditional sausages (PTS) is provided in this article. Additionally, nutritional composition of the products is presented. Future developments foreseen in the field, in the light of current knowledge and market trends, are finally addressed

Active packaging aims to prolong food’s shelf-life by directly interacting with the packaged food. This type of packaging is characterized by having the active agent incorporated into the package polymer, such as antioxidant additives, that will gradually migrate from the package polymer to the packed food and, consequently, delay food’s natural lipid oxidation. In this study, the efficiency of an active whey protein film incorporated with a rosemary extract on retarding the lipid oxidation of salami slices was evaluated. The lipid oxidation of the salami was measured by the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) assay and hexanal monitorization. Also, a sensory analysis on the salami packaged for 60 and 90 days was performed. The active film was able to delay the salami’s lipid oxidation for, at least, 30 days. The samples packaged with the active film revealed a bitter taste related to the rosemary extract and a bit sweet from the WP and the glycerol.