One can observe the sustainability of traditional food products (TFPs) consumption in terms of their market, production, and technical characteristics. These characteristics must be acknowledged by the management section of a catering facility responsible for purchasing and consuming these products. Consequently, this research was conducted among the management of catering facilities (chefs, managers, and owners) in Vojvodina (northern region of Serbia) from 300 different facilities. The research was conducted using a questionnaire. The data acquired were statistically processed using the non-parametric Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis tests and presented in this paper. Special attention was given to differences in perceiving the characteristics of TFP of Vojvodina (TASQ) as seen from the socio-demographic aspects of the respondents and the characteristics of catering facilities. The research deduced that the sensory quality of a product, menu diversity, freshness, local production, price, and seasonality are the prominent characteristics that affect the TFP’s choice of purchase and consumption. The least essential characteristics are organic production and brand. The differences in perception of the characteristics were based on the respondent’s age, education level, and working position, as well as catering offer (domestic, national, international, and combined) and the location of a catering facility (urban/rural).

Dill (Anethum graveolens L.) essential oil (DEO) obtained by hydrodistillation (HD) and lipid extracts (DSE₁ and DSE₂) obtained by supercritical CO₂ extraction (SFE) were used as potential antioxidants and antimicrobial agents in beef burgers at two different concentrations (0.075 and 0.15 µL/g). The chemical profile of the lipid extracts and their in vitro antimicrobial activity against the common pathogens E. coli and L. monocytogenes (MIC and MBC) were determined. The quality and shelf life of the burgers were monitored through (lipid oxidation—TBARS test; protein oxidation—thiol group content and selected biogenic amine content) and microbiological quality (Enterobacteriaceae—EB, aerobic mesophilic bacteria—TAMB, lactic acid bacteria—LAB). Dill lipid extracts (DEO and DSE₁) significantly (p < 0.05) reduced lipid oxidation and protein oxidation in beef burgers, while the lipid extract (DSE₂) showed pro-oxidative effects. The strongest antimicrobial potential against EB was found in SFE₁150 (1.15 log cfu/g). Putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, and tyramine were not detected in any of the analyzed samples during the storage period, while the total content of biogenic amines ranged from 21.4 mg/kg to 285 mg/kg. Generally, it can be concluded that dill essential oil (DEO) and extract DSE₁ can be used as novel natural additives in minced-meat products.

Essential oils (EOs) isolated from different plant materials, namely Origanum majorana L., Satureja hortensis L., and Satureja montana L. (OMEO, SHEO, and SMEO, respectively), were used in fresh turkey sausage processing. The chemical composition and in vitro antimicrobial potential of selected EOs and their mixture were determined. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) against foodborne pathogens (Escherichia coli, Salmonella Enteritidis, and Listeria monocytogenes) ranged in the interval of 0.44–7.1 µL/mL. Fresh turkey sausages were produced with EOs addition and marked as follows: TOMEO—0.150 µL/g OMEO; TSHEO—0.150 µL/g SHEO; TSMEO—0.150 µL/g SMEO; TEOM—0.050 µL/g OMEO, 0.050 µL/g SHEO and 0.050 µL/g SMEO, and control (C) (without EOs). Microbiological profile and biogenic amines content in fresh turkey sausages were recorded during storage. The selected EOs and their mixture efficiently reduced bacterial growth and biogenic amines formation and accumulation. The lowest Enterobacteriaceae count and total biogenic amine (BA) concentration were determined through treatment TSHEO. The results of this study show that selected EOs could be useful in fresh turkey sausage processing in order to improve safety and shelf-life.

The objective of this study was to identify consumers’ attitudes about the consumption and certification of traditional food products, special characteristics to which they pay attention when buying food products, and their opinions regarding what traditional food products are to them. The research was based on an online questionnaire conducted on a sample of 540 respondents in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina. The results showed that 98.3% of the respondents consume traditional food products in their households, 95.2% of the consumers decide to buy food products based on their quality, and 68.2% of the consumers believe that certain types of certification can improve product placement on the market. The specific characteristics that consumers mostly prioritize when buying food products are products with no added sugar (41.2%), traditional production processes (38.8%), GMO-free products (36.9%), organic products (36.4%), and additive-free products (34.9%). The results of this research indicate that consumers primarily perceive traditional food products as items produced using traditional methods (72.8%), characterized by the absence of additives (53.2%), specific to a certain geographic area (49.9%), sourced from small farms or facilities (49.5%), and products with long production tradition (49%).

This study examined the safety of meat products from north Serbia (Vojvodina), smoked in traditional conditions, from a PAH point of view, and assessed the possibility of their reduction in these types of products. Samples of dry cured meat products, bacons and dry fermented sausages smoked in six different chambers on the territory of Vojvodina were examined. The contents of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, from the United States Environmental Protection Agency list (16 US-EPA PAHs), and sensory quality of meat products were determined. The total content of 16 US-EPA PAHs in dry cured meat products was in the range from 99.73 μg/kg to 412.76 μg/kg; in bacons it was in the range from 36.43 μg/kg to 188.86 μg/kg; and in dry fermented sausages in the range from 47.23 μg/kg to 270.60 μg/kg. The lowest contents of 16 US-EPA PAHs compounds were determined in meat products smoked in traditional conditions during 3–5 days (3–4 h per day) at a distance of 2.5 m between the fire and products. Generally, it can be concluded that shortening of smoking process is justified, because products of good sensory quality and with decreased content of PAHs compounds were obtained. Benzo[a]pyrene, whose maximum allowed content in smoked meat products is 2 μg/kg, was below the limit of detection in all examined traditional meat products from Vojvodina. Also, contents of PAH4, sum of benz[a]anthracene, chrysene, benzo[a]pyrene and benzo[b]fluoranthene, were in the range from ND to 2.22 μg/kg, still greatly lower than the set maximum value. These results indicated the safety of dry cured meat products, bacons and dry fermented sausages from the territory of north Serbia (Vojvodina), as defined by EU Regulation 2023/915 criteria for PAHs contents.

In response to the growing demand for clean-label preservatives, this study investigates the potential of Laetiporus sulphureus, an edible polypore mushroom, as a multifunctional additive in cooked sausages. The ethanolic extract of L. sulphureus (LsEtOH) was evaluated for its chemical composition, antioxidant capacity, and antimicrobial activity. Leucine (12.4 ± 0.31 mg/g d.w.) and linoleic acid (68.6%) were identified as the dominant essential amino acid and fatty acid. LsEtOH exhibited strong antioxidant activity, with IC₅₀ values of 215 ± 0.05 µg/mL (DPPH•), 182 ± 0.40 µg/mL (NO•), and 11.4 ± 0.01 µg/mL (OH•), and showed a selective inhibition of Gram-positive bacteria, particularly Staphylococcus aureus (MIC/MBC: 0.31/0.62 mg/mL). In cooked sausages treated with 0.05 mg/kg of LsEtOH, lipid peroxidation was reduced (TBARS: 0.26 mg MDA/kg compared to 0.36 mg MDA/kg in the control), microbial growth was suppressed (33.3 ± 15.2 CFU/g in the treated sample compared to 43.3 ± 5.7 CFU/g in the control group), and color and pH were stabilized over 30 days. A sensory evaluation revealed minor flavor deviations due to the extract’s inherent aroma. Encapsulation and consumer education are recommended to enhance acceptance. This is the first study to demonstrate the efficacy of L. sulphureus extract as a natural preservative in a meat matrix, supporting its application as a clean-label additive for shelf life and safety improvement.