Microbiological characterization of “innovative” alheiras produced in Portugal

The manufacture of traditional meat products, like alheiras, is a long-established practice in the North of Portugal (1) and in recent years, different and “innovative” types of alheiras made with ingredients other than pork and/or poultry meats, such as fish, veal, lamb, mushrooms, tofu, soy and vegetables have become available, as a way to improve competitiveness through innovation. Even though there is already extensive scientific knowledge on fermentations and behavior of pathogens in traditional alheiras (2, 3, 4), “innovative” products represent a challenge regarding their safety and microbiota. Being produced by the same companies that produce traditional alheiras, it’s predictable that many of the problems previously associated with these products will also be associated with these new products. So, chemical and microbiological characteristics of these “innovative” products should be investigated in order to verify if they represent or not a potential health risk.