Classification of sausage

Sausage is the oldest form of processed meat products known through historical evidence. It is considered one of the most appetizing, nutritious, enjoyable, and convenient meat products. For thousands of years, people have prepared meat products similar to today's sausage. Homer spoke glowingly of sausage in the Odyssey, saying it was a favorite food of the Greeks. Roman festive occasions were considered incomplete without it.

The classification method for Sausage is according to the methods of processing or manufacture. There are four broad categories of sausages: fresh sausages, cooked sausages, semi dry or dry sausages, and specialty meats (luncheon meats).

Uncooked fresh sausages are made from fresh meats which are, as a rule, neither cured, smoked, fermented nor cooked. This type must be refrigerated and thoroughly cooked before eating. Examples of fresh sausages are fresh pork sausage, Italian sausage and some types of bratwurst and bockwurst.

Cooked sausages are ready-to-serve products, basically made from previously cooked fresh or exceptionally cured raw materials, subjected to final cooking after stuffing, with or without additional smoking. Generally, cooked sausages are perishable and will last approximately seven to 14 days under refrigerated conditions. These sausages must be refrigerated all the time, up until time of consumption. They will keep for at least 2 weeks in unopened vacuum sealed packages and for 1 week in non-vacuum packages or after you open vacuum-sealed packages. Examples of cooked sausages include hotdogs and luncheon meats such as bologna, cotto salami, polish sausage, and braunschweiger.

Semi-dry and dry sausages are cured and may or may not be smoked. Examples of semi-dry and dry sausages include summer sausage, Italian salami, pepperoni, Lebanon bologna, cervelat and some thuringers.

Specialty meats are cured, fully cooked, and occasionally smoked. They are usually cooked in loaf pans or casings. It is a diverse category that may contain cured, uncured, smoked and non-smoked meats that do not readily fit into other category. They are seasoned and often formed into loaves. E.g. Olive loaf, head cheese, jellied corned beef, scrapple souse, sausage rolls
Classification of sausage