Local pig breeds are adapted to the specific local environment and fed with various locally available feedstuffs. So besides their genetic merit for agro-biodiversity, they represent the foundations of sustainable local pork chains. Thus, the aim of the current chapter is to present the history and current status of the Bísara breed (Bísaro pig), its exterior phenotypic characteristics, geographical location, production system and main products from this Portuguese autochthonous breed of pigs. Moreover, a collection and review of available literature data, set until August 2017, on reproductive and productive traits (growth, carcass, meat and fat quality) of Bísaro pig breed were carried out. Reproductive performance has been estimated by means of sow's age at the first parturition, annual litters per sow, piglets alive per litter, piglet live birth and weaning weight, percentage of stillborn per litter, mortality to weaning, lactation length and farrowing interval. Growth performance has been estimated through the average daily gain and feed intake in both the growing stage and the early, middle, late and overall fattening stage. Carcass traits have been evaluated by means of age and weight at slaughter, hot carcass weight, carcass yield, lean meat content, backfat thickness at withers, last rib, above the muscle gluteus medius and the loin eye area. Meat and fat quality traits of longissimus muscle have been evaluated by means of pH at 45 minutes and 24 h after slaughter, objective colour (CIE L*), intramuscular fat content and fatty acid composition of intramuscular fat. Although a considerable number of studies on Bísaro pig were included in the current review, data on meat and fat quality are scarce.

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Linguiça is a Portuguese traditional fermented sausage whose microbiological quality and safety can be highly variable. In order to elucidate risk factors and the particularities of the manufacturing technology that explain the between-batch variability in total viable counts (TVC), Enterobacteriaceae, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes in the product; microbiological and physicochemical characterisation of linguiça at five stages of production (i.e., raw pork meat, mixed with ingredients, macerated, smoked and ripened) was carried out. A total of six production batches were surveyed from two factories; one utilised curing salts and polyphosphate in their formulation (Factory II). The delayed fermentation in the nitrite-formulated sausages was partly responsible for the increase (p<0.01) in Enterobacteriaceae, S. aureus and L. monocytogenes from raw meat (3.21logCFU/g, 1.30logCFU/g and 22.2CFU/g, respectively) to the end of maceration (4.14logCFU/g, 2.10logCFU/g and 140CFU/g, respectively) while the better acidification process in the nitrite-free sausages (Factory I) led to lower counts of S. aureus (2.64logCFU/g) and L. monocytogenes (10CFU/g) in the finished products. In Factory II, although L. monocytogenes entered the chain at the point of mixing, it became steadily inactivated during smoking and ripening (<50CFU/g), despite the initially-delayed fermentation. Nitrite had a strong effect on reducing Enterobacteriaceae throughout smoking (r=-0.73) and ripening (r=-0.59), while it failed to control the growth of S. aureus. The main hurdle preventing the development of S. aureus in linguiça is the pH, and other factors contributing to its control are: longer ripening days (p=0.019), low S. aureus in raw meat (p=0.098), properly-washed casings (p=0.094), and less contamination during mixing (p=0.199). In the case of L. monocytogenes, at least three hurdles hinder its development in linguiça: low a (p=0.004), low pH (p=0.040) and nitrite (p=0.060), and other factors contributing to its control are: longer ripening (p=0.072) and maceration (p=0.106) periods, lower a at the end of smoking (p=0.076) and properly-washed casings (p=0.099). Results have shown that there is a need to standardise the productive process of linguiça, to optimise the initial acidification process, and to reinforce proper programmes of quality control of ingredients and good hygiene practices, so as to minimise the introduction of Enterobacteriaceae and pathogens from external sources.

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