Cooked ham is a popular, ready-to-eat product made of pork meat that is susceptible to microbial growth throughout its shelf life. In this study, we aimed to monitor the microbial growth and composition of nine vacuum-packed cooked ham lots using plate counting until the microbial limit of 7.4 log10AMC/LAB CFU/g was exceeded. Eight out of nine lots exceeded the microbial limit after 20 days of storage. Lactic acid bacteria strains, particularlyLeuconostoc carnosumandLatilactobacillus sakei, prevailed in vacuum-packed cooked ham.Leuconostoc carnosum2 (Leuc 2) andLatilactobacillus sakei4 (Sakei 4) were isolated from raw meat and the post-cooking area of the food processing facility. Carbohydrate utilization patterns ofLeuc. carnosumPFGE types isolated from raw meat and the food processing environment differed from those isolated from cooked ham. These findings demonstrate how raw meat and its processing environment impact the quality and shelf life of cooked ham.