Clostridium botulinum
All smoked sausages are cured. The reason is the threat of botulism. The bacterium responsible, "Clostridium botulinum", is ubiquitous in the environment, grows in the anaerobic conditions created in the interior of the sausage, and thrives in the to temperature range common in the smoke house and subsequent ambient storage. Thus, for safety reasons, sausages are cured before smoking.