There is a wide variety of sausage products with different processing methods, and there is no uniform classification system worldwide. For example, German sausages are mainly divided into fresh raw sausages, cooked-smoked sausages, and ready-to-eat cooked sausages.
For many years in China's meat processing industry, a common classification has been used to distinguish between Chinese-style sausages and western-style sausages: traditional Chinese sausages (represented by Cantonese cured sausages) are simply called sausages, while sausages introduced from abroad in modern times are referred to as cured sausages. This classification is based on the country of origin.
In addition, sausages can be classified in other ways:
By raw material: livestock meat sausages, poultry meat sausages, etc.
By doneness: raw sausages and cooked sausages.
By flavor: southern-style sausages and northern-style sausages.
By regional characteristics: Beijing-style, Suzhou-style, Cantonese-style, Sichuan-style sausages, etc.
By fermentation: fermented sausages and non-fermented sausages.
By smoking: smoked sausages and non-smoked sausages.
By meat grinding and processing: chopped sausages and emulsified sausages.
In the United States and Japan, sausages are categorized as fresh raw sausages, smoked sausages, cooked sausages, dry sausages, and semi-dry sausages.
In this text, cured meat sausage products are divided into sausages and other types of cured sausages. Based on processing technology, sausages are classified into the following categories.
1. Fresh Raw Sausages
The main raw material of this type of sausage is fresh pork. The meat is ground, mixed with seasonings and spices, then stuffed into casings without curing using nitrates or nitrites. The product is neither cooked nor cured. It is typically stored at 0–4°C with a shelf life of about 2–4 days, and must be fully cooked before consumption — hence the name fresh raw sausage. Typical products include Thüringer Rostbratwurst, Kielbasa, and Bockwurst.
Besides meat, some fresh sausages are blended with other ingredients such as pork head meat, offal, potatoes, starch, or bread crumbs; others combine beef with eggs, bread crumbs, or biscuit powder; mixed pork and beef sausages with eggs and flour; tomato-flavored sausages with pork, beef, tomatoes, and cracker powder; or pork, beef, fat, and rice flour.
Due to high moisture content, soft texture, and lack of heat sterilization, these sausages generally cannot be stored long-term. They require further cooking by consumers, so they are rarely produced in mainland China.
2. Cooked Sausages
Cooked sausages are made from cured or uncured meat pieces that are chopped, seasoned, stuffed into casings, then boiled in water, and sometimes lightly smoked. This is the most common type and accounts for a large share of total sausage production.
In Europe, raw materials often include liver, lungs, tongue, and head meat of livestock and poultry. Since these materials are easily contaminated by bacteria, they must be pre-heated, mixed with seasonings, stuffed into casings, then further smoked or cooked. Typical products are liver sausage, blood sausage, and tongue sausage.
Some of these products are rich in collagen, giving them good elasticity, firm texture, and high toughness. Others are soft and spreadable on bread, often served as breakfast sausages, which is common in Europe and the United States.
3. Fermented Sausages
Fermented sausages represent the largest category of fermented meat products and are typical of fermented meat processing. They are made from ground meat (usually pork or beef) as the main ingredient, mixed with animal fat, salt, sugar, spices, and sometimes microbial starters, then stuffed into casings. Through microbial fermentation, ripening, and drying (or without full drying), they become stable meat products with characteristic fermented flavors.
There are many types of fermented sausages:
By meat texture: coarsely ground and finely ground sausages.
By moisture loss during processing: dry sausages (weight loss > 30%), semi-dry sausages (10%–30%), and non-dry sausages (< 10%). Although not strictly scientific, this classification is widely accepted in the industry and among consumers.
Representative products include Salami, Dry Alsatian sausage, and Skilandis.
These products have a low pH value, approximately 4.8–5.5, with a tangy, pungent flavor, firm texture, good slicing properties, suitable elasticity, and a long shelf life.
4. Smoked Sausages
Smoked sausages are produced using various types of livestock and poultry meat, which are cut, cured, ground, mixed with seasonings and spices, stuffed into casings, then smoked and heated (or unheated for raw-smoked sausages). This is the most widely produced category in modern meat processing plants. Typical examples include Frankfurter, Vienna sausage, and Harbin red sausage.
These products feature high elasticity, excellent slicing performance, compact texture, and significantly higher water-holding and fat-holding capacities than other types of sausages.
Helper Machinery Group Co., Ltd.
