Smoked sausages of bovine meat produced in North Macedonia as a source of pro-technological lactic acid bacteria and coagulase-negative cocci.

Smoked bovine sausages, traditional meat products from the Balkan Peninsula, are rich in microbial diversity and represent potential sources of pro-technological microorganisms. This study aimed to characterize these sausages from three different producers collected in green markets of North Macedonia. The analyses included physico-chemical (proximate composition, pH, a), morpho-textural (color and texture), and microbiological assessments (viable plate counts). Moreover, an isolation campaign was conducted to identify and characterize pro-technological microorganisms. Significant variability was observed in moisture content (ranging from 33.70 to 48.61 %), hardness, and color among samples from different producers. Samples from producer 2 showed the lowest pH (mean ∼4.90) and the highest loads of lactic acid bacteria (up to ∼9 log cfu g). Coagulase-negative cocci ranged between 4.84 and 7.47 log cfu g. No potential pathogenic bacteria were detected. A total of 30 isolates, primarily , , and , were identified. Isolates of L. S7, S13, and S27 showed strong in-vitro acidification performance, together with the production of exopolysaccharides (EPS), and protease activity. isolates S1 and S2 exhibited protease and lipase activities, while isolates S21 and S28 showed notable lipase and protease activities, along with the production of EPS. Additionally, all isolates, except S2, showed nitrate reductase activity, one of the key features able to affect sausage color. These findings highlighted the pro-technological traits of these microbial isolates, suggesting their potential use as starter or adjunct cultures in the meat industry to enhance product quality and safety.