Characterization of the microbiota and chemical properties of pork loins during dry aging

This study identified the microbiota of pork loins during DA using culturing and culture‐independent meta‐16S rRNA gene sequencing and elucidated its characteristics. The amounts of free amino acids and profiles of aroma‐active compounds were also monitored by high‐performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography, respectively. The meta‐16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed thatPseudomonas spp. generally dominated the microbiota throughout DA; however, the culturing analysis showed marked changes in the species composition during DA.Acinetobacter spp. were the second most dominant bacteria before DA in the culture ‐independent analysis but became a minor population during DA. The cell numbers of yeasts showed an increased tendency during DA, andDebaryomyces hansenii was the only microorganism isolated from all meat samples throughout DA. Well ‐known foodborne pathogens were not observed in two microbiota analyses. The amounts of free amino acids were increased by DA, and the number of aroma‐active compounds and their flavor dilution values markedly changed during DA. Most microbial isolates showed positive reactions with proteolytic and lipolytic activities, suggesting their contribution to tenderness and aroma production in DA meats.

Source: MicrobiologyOpen - February 27, 2021 Category: Microbiology Authors: Akihito Endo, Ryosuke Koizumi, Yozo Nakazawa, Yuh Shiwa, Shintaro Maeno, Yoshihiko Kido, Tomohiro Irisawa, Yoshiki Muramatsu, Kotaro Tada, Masao Yamazaki, Takao Myoda Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research