Objective To study the risk of microbial contamination in sausage processing, and the distribution characteristics and contamination pathways of hygienic indicator bacteria and main foodborne pathogens, and to provide basis for risk control of microbial contamination during processing of sausage. Methods 712 meat product samples (raw materials, intermediate products and final products) and environment samples were collected from 4 enterprises from 2015 to 2017. Traditional isolation and culture method were used to detect hygienic indicator bacteria and main foodborne pathogens, and serological identification of Salmonella was carried out. Results The proportion of raw materials samples with aerobic plate count(APC)above 10⁵ CFU/g and coliforms above 10³ CFU/g was 33.00% (33/100) and 29.00% (29/100) respectively. The proportion of intermediate products samples with APC above 10⁵ CFU/g and coliforms above 10³ CFU/g was 62.86% (66/105) and 36.19% (38/105) respectively. There was no samples with APC above 10⁴ CFU/g and coliforms above 10 CFU/g in final products. Conclusion This study will help to understand the contamination distribution of sausage during processing, the key control points, the formulation of good manufacturing practices and the food safety of final products.