## 1 Introduction  
The bottarga, also called _avgotaracho_ in Greece or _karasumi_ in Japan, is a product created during the process of drying and salting ovaries from different fish species [1]. It is produced worldwide with different manufacturing methods; Sardinia's bottarga is the end-product of several treatments of female gonads exclusively from mullet (_Mugil cephalus_ L.) that occur in specific humidity (53%) and temperature (25 \({}^{\circ}\)C) conditions [2]. The total production of bottarga in Sardinia is equal to 400 tons/year [3]. Considering the high economic value of the product (200 EUR/kg), the production of bottarga represents an important economic sector for the region. Moreover, it has been recognized as a traditional product of Sardinia (National list of traditional products, Ministerial Decree 18/07/2000). As a fish product, bottarga has an interesting chemical composition and fatty acid profile with a high nutritional value due to the high concentration of some long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) from the omega-3 family, such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) [4]. Approximately, EPA and DHA amounted to 22% of total fatty acids of bottarga [2]. These fatty acids (FAs) play an important role in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory processes, and metabolic syndrome [5; 6]. Also, [PERSON] et al. [2] evidenced a high content of free fatty acids due to the hydrolysis that occurs during the manufacturing and storage conditions. In terms of microbiological properties, due to the low level of water activity, which can drop as low as 0.77 [4], bottarga is not an ideal substrate for the growth of microorganisms [7]. However, previous studies [8; 9] evidenced a contamination of bottarga and similar products with some pathogens. The authors found a variable number of spoilage/pathogen bacteria in the samples, such as _Microococcus_ spp., _Clostridium perfringens_, and _Staphylococcus aureus_. _S. aureus_ is a halophilic bacteria capable of growing with a W\({}_{\text{a}}\) value \(<\) 0.872. _S. aureus_ could be normally found in the human skin, and if good hygienic practices during the manual work steps were not followed, contamination of the final product may occur [10]. Several steps of bottarga manufacturing involve manual work, and for this reason, biological contamination could occur in some phases of the process [10]. The data about the microbiological analysis of bottarga is quite limited; however, this type of analysis is important for the determination of the safety of the final product. Consumer acceptance has received attention in recent years [11] and sensory analysis plays an important role in understanding the palatability of food products. Several factors, such as manufacturing, processing, or preparation, may influence the characteristics (e.g., color, freshness, and humidity) of fresh products and their acceptability. Despite the fact that bottarga is largely appreciated for its properties, there is scant literature about the sensory analysis of this seafood. Only [PERSON] et al. [12] have investigated the sensory evaluation of different bottarga samples and shown the relationship between lipid content and sensory properties (taste and odor) of the product. The mullet from which the Sardinian bottarga comes from is a schooling species that lives in the coastal waters of tropical, subtropical, and temperate zones; therefore, Sardinia represents a natural habitat for the rearing of this species. The production of bottarga, traditionally associated with the consumption of mullet [13], is born in the natural habitat favorable to the survival of this fish species, in particular in the ponds of Cabras (Oristano), Tortoli (Ogliastra), San Teodoro (Nuoro), and in the lagoons of the San Pietro Island and Sant'Antioco (Cagliari). Each lagoon has peculiar features strongly related to freshwater inputs, tidal fluctuation, and human activity.