A Review: Microbial Diversity and Function of Fermented Meat Products in China

Abstract

Fermented meat products have a long history in China. These products exhibit a characteristic unique flavor, compact meat quality, clear color, long shelf life and wide variety and are easy to transport. During the processing and storage of fermented meat products, microorganisms are present and exhibit diverse characteristics. Microorganisms can accelerate the degradation of proteins and fats to produce flavor compounds, inhibit the growth and reproduction of heterozygous bacteria, and reduce the content of chemical pollutants. This paper reviews the microbial diversity of Chinese ham, sausage, preserved meat, pressed salted duck, preserved fish and air-dried meat and provides analyses of the microbial compositions of various products. Due to the differences in raw materials, technology, auxiliary materials, and fermentation technology, the microbial species found in various fermented meat products in China are different. However, most fermented meat products in China are subjected to pickling and fermentation, so their microbial compositions also have similarities. Microorganisms in fermented meat products mainly include staphylococci, lactobacilli, micrococci, yeasts, and molds. The study of microbial diversity is of great significance for the formation of quality flavor and the safety control of fermented meat products, and it provides some theoretical reference for the study of fermented meat products in China.

Research Update on the Impact of Lactic Acid Bacteria on the Substance Metabolism, Flavor, and Quality Characteristics of Fermented Meat Products

“…Lactic acid is produced during the fermentation of LAB, giving the product a special flavor, and its enzyme system produces esterase, protease, and peroxidase; these enzymes and endogenous enzymes in the meat products synergize, inducing biochemical changes in the protein and fat of raw meat, thereby producing small molecules of amino acids, esters, peptides, and short-chain fatty acids and other small molecules [ 27 ]. Presently, most raw meat used in processed meat products consists of skeletal muscles, in which the proteins are mainly myogenic fibrin, sarcoplasmic protein, and matrix protein, and LAB can hydrolyze the above-mentioned muscle proteins into oligopeptides, while the oligopeptides convert the free small peptides and amino acids into α-keto acids through transamination reactions, which in turn generate the corresponding amino acids through the ammonia addition reaction; α-keto acids are also precursors of alcohols with fruit flavors and other aromatic substances [ 28 ].…”

Dynamic change of bacterial diversity, metabolic pathways, and flavor during ripening of the Chinese fermented sausage

“…The highest abundance was observed in the carbohydrate metabolism pathway at different stages of ripening, so the carbohydrate metabolism of bacteria in sausage plays a crucial role in the ripening process. On the one hand, it provides energy for the metabolic activities of the microbes themselves (Zhao et al, 2021). On the other hand, bacterial carbohydrate metabolism can also produce a large number of organic acid products which can give sausages a unique sour taste and reduce the pH of sausages, thereby ensuring their safety of sausages.…”

Improving the Flavor of Fermented Sausage by Increasing Its Bacterial Quality via Inoculation with Lactobacillus plantarum MSZ2 and Staphylococcus xylosus YCC3

“…In general, the formation of flavor requires the following two main steps [ 12 ]. The first step is lipolysis, which can increase the concentration of free fatty acids, which are the main precursor of the flavor compound [ 13 ]. Although the endogenous lipases of meat are considered to be primarily responsible for the free fatty acids’ release, the effect of bacteria on lipolysis cannot be ignored.…”