Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the survival capability and quantify the persistence of the food-borne pathogens L. monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica in three fermented sausages of Italian origin with different maturation times, i.e. Cacciatore (20 days), Felino and Milano (40 days each) type salami. An understanding of the fate of a pathogen during the production process is important for both, Food Business Operators (FBOs) and evaluators of the microbial risk in foods (risk assessment studies), as it can provide practical information on the process parameters combinations that could lead to a better control of the pathogens.