Meat products constitute one of the most important groups of traditional foods. Thanks to the unique and
favorable organoleptic characteristics, and high quality, they are willingly chosen by consumers. Lately, there
has been a growing concern over the health aspects of these products. Therefore, the aim of this study was to
analyze the nutritional value and factors affecting quality and health safety of traditional meat products on the
basis of available literature. The study findings have revealed various issues with uniformity of traditional meat
products. Products of the same name may differ substantially considering nutritional value. Reports also indicate
that there are some discrepancies which can be attributed to product character (traditional/conventional). They
mainly concern the content of moisture, protein, salt, fat, and fatty acid profile. Research suggests that traditional
meat products may also be associated with some health safety issues, such as the presence of pathogens, poly-
cyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nitrate and nitrite residues, N-nitrosamines, biogenic amines and heavy metals.