Survival of three E scherichia coli strains O 157: B 032, LMG 8223, IVK 805 from the collection of the , in breaded and unbreaded beef hamburgers (n = 144), subjected to short microwave heating was determined. 50 g hamburger samples were contaminated by bacterial suspension injections (the initial contamination level was 10 6 cfu/g of product). Microwave heating for 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 s was done using a microwave cooker (Dialog cook, Moulinex, at 480 and 760 W). 30 s heating at 480 W caused test bacteria cells partial reduction that wa s more pronounced in breaded hamburgers. In the case of E. coli O 157: B 032, the reduction was lower than for the other two strains. At 480 W , none of the E. coli O 157 test strains survived 60 s of heating that corre sponded to the hamburgers' temperature ranging from 75.2 to 89. 1°C. Increasing the power to 760 W, decrea sed the bacteria inactivation time to 30 s while the hamburgers' temperature ranged from 71.9 to 78.8°C. Indifferent of the cooker power for each of the heating times, breaded hamburgers achieved higher temperatures than the unbreaded ones.

Traditional meat products, particularly cured meat products, represent a specific group of products with large consumers in many countries of the world. The methods of producing them, depending on the country and region from which they originate, make them significantly different from their industrially produced equivalents; they may influence the microbiological quality of such products, making their health safety significant. The aim of this study is to determine the microbiological quality of polish traditional cured meat products manufactured in the North-eastern part of Poland (Warmia and Mazury, Pomerania and Podlasie). Nine types of cured meat products manufactured by four producers were investigated. In total, 90 samples of cured meat products were tested. The tests did not reveal the presence of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli or Salmonella species in the cured meat products. In one of the products tested (Szynka Wędzona z Mazurskiej Masarni -raw), the presence of Listeria monocytogenes was detected, and in two of the products tested (Szynka Wędzona z Mazurskiej Masarni -raw and Kindziuk from Puńsk), Staphylococcus xylosus was detected. The total count of mesophilic aerobic microorganisms (TVC) ranged between 2.48 log cfu/g in Polędwica Wędzona z MazurskiejMasarni to 6.45 log cfu/g in Wątrobianka, with the average values ranging from 2.99 to 5.56 log cfu/g (depending on the type of product tested). Own studies indicate that polish traditional meat products have no significance as a source of food borne pathogens; however, maintaining sanitary regimes seems to be essential for assuring quality and safety of these special products.