UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — There is a popular saying that contends, "you don't want to see how the sausage is made." But Jonathan Campbell doesn't buy it.
The assistant professor of animal science in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences has been focusing on making dry, fermented sausages the last few years using a procedure called "salumi" in Italy or "charcuterie" in France — places where these unique meat products have been made the old-fashioned way for centuries. This food trend has become popular among connoisseurs of fine cuisine in the United States, as well as among meat processors who serve them.
What is noteworthy about Campbell, who also is a Penn State Extension meat specialist, is the depth and breadth of his activities related to specialty sausage making. It is not unusual for an extension program to deliver the findings of research to businesses — that's at the heart of Penn State's land-grant mission. But Campbell has taken the concept to a new level, conducting food-safety research himself, personally passing along the results to meat processors in workshops, and even designing and helping to produce custom sausages for local businesses based on those findings.
Collaborating with Catherine Cutter, extension food-safety specialist and professor of food science, Campbell investigated whether traditional processing would reduce E. coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella in the production of a traditionally processed snack sausage, landjäger. The results of that research were published last month in the journal Food Control.
Dry or semidry sausages are produced by fermenting a raw-meat batter seasoned with sugar, salt and various spices, Campbell explained. Following fermentation, sausages may be smoked to enhance the flavor, color and aroma. Finally, sausages are dried to lower their moisture content.