Fermented meat products rely on complex microbial ecosystems in which lactic acid bacteria (LAB) play a central role in safety, quality, and sensory development. In recent years, increasing demand for reduced-nitrite formulations, clean-label products, and improved risk management have driven renewed interest in microbial control strategies beyond traditional fermentation practices. This systematic review aims to synthesize current knowledge on the microbiological aspects of meat fermentation, spanning traditional spontaneous processes and modern approaches to microflora control, including starter cultures, biocontrol strategies, and omics-based tools. A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar, with the final search performed on 15 May 2025. After screening and eligibility assessment following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, 141 studies were included in the qualitative synthesis. The review integrates evidence on microbial succession, metabolic functions, pathogen inhibition, biogenic amine control, and flavour formation, with particular emphasis on advances in metagenomics, metabolomics, and predictive microbiology. Across studies, LAB-dominated ecosystems—particularly those involving Latilactobacillus sakei, Latilactobacillus curvatus, and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum—consistently emerge as the primary drivers of fermentation stability and safety. The strongest evidence supports the use of selected starter and protective cultures, bacteriocinogenic LAB, and omics-guided predictive control to enhance process reliability, support reduced-nitrite strategies, and mitigate microbiological risks without compromising product quality. Overall, the integration of traditional fermentation knowledge with data-driven microbial management provides a robust framework for developing safe, authentic, and sustainable fermented meat products.

Smoked cheeses are especially appreciated by consumers because of the unique taste and smell. The smoke used in this process is composed of a few hundred components, both favorable influencing the smoked product quality and neutral for consumers’ health, and also the ones which are questionable because of health aspects, for example, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Even though such substances decide about the taste and smell of smoked products, they are perceived as potentially genotoxic and cancerogenic for humans. The aim of the experiment was to assess the PAHs levels in traditionally smoked cheeses in Poland. The PAHs in cheeses samples were determined by isotope dilution method with the use of HRGC-HRMS. The cheeses contained the trace amounts of benzo[a]pyrene. The except were small sheep cheeses and the Ritta goat whey cheese smoked in hot smoke in which the level of 17.0 µg/kg of benzo[a]pyrene was observed. The low levels of benzo[a]pyrene and of sum of benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[a]antracene, benzo[b]fluorantene and chrysene in the analyzed cheeses were the result of mild smoking in warm smoke. Although today, there are no regulations about smoked cheese and the maximum of PAHs concentration, the control of PAHs in the cheeses is essential due to the mutagenic and carcinogenic potential of these compounds.

Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, the scientific journal of the Mendel University in Brno, Czech Republic