were ground in a meat grinder using a plate of 12-18 mm of diameter. then salt and spices (ground sweet red pepper and wild fennel seeds) were added to the mixture. Five producers added nitrate. nitrite and L-ascorbic acid (nitrite sausages. NS). whereas the other 5 did not (no nitrite sausages. NNS). The sausage mixture was stuffed in natural casings (36-42 mm of diameter). brought to dry (2-7 days) into dedicated places (15 C, 65% relative humidity, RH) and seasoned (13-18 C, 75-85% RH) for a month