ena-STUDY-Institute of Food Safety, Food Technology and Veterinary Public Health-04-08-2021-14:48:26:300-922
Autochthonous fungi in addition to starter cultures are central components of the microbial ecosystem in raw fermented sausages
Raw meat represents a unique ecological niche rich in nutrients for microbial consumption, making it particularly vulnerable to microbial spoilage. During raw meat sausage production heat is not applied to render the final product microbiologically safe. Instead, starter cultures are applied to  improve product stability and safety as well as flavor characteristics. However, the influence of starter cultures on microbial community assembly and succession throughout the fermentation process is largely unknown. In particular the effect on the fungal community has not been explored so far. Here we evaluate the microbiological status of four different raw meat sausages using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene and ITS2 gene sequencing. The objective was to study temporal changes of microbial composition during the fermentation process and to identify potential keystone species that play an important role within the microbial community. Our results suggest that fungi assigned to the species Debaryomyces hansenii and Alternaria alternata play a key role in microbial community dynamics during fermentation. In addition, bacteria related to Lactobacillus sakei and the genera Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, and Psychrobacter  are central components of the microbial ecosystem in raw fermented sausages. Elucidating the exact role and interactions of these microorganisms has the potential to have direct impacts on the quality and safety of fermented foods.
Raw meat represents a unique ecological niche rich in nutrients for microbial consumption, making it particularly vulnerable to microbial spoilage. During raw meat sausage production heat is not applied to render the final product microbiologically safe. Instead, starter cultures are applied to  improve product stability and safety as well as flavor characteristics. However, the influence of starter cultures on microbial community assembly and succession throughout the fermentation process is largely unknown. In particular the effect on the fungal community has not been explored so far. Here we evaluate the microbiological status of four different raw meat sausages using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene and ITS2 gene sequencing. The objective was to study temporal changes of microbial composition during the fermentation process and to identify potential keystone species that play an important role within the microbial community. Our results suggest that fungi assigned to the species Debaryomyces hansenii and Alternaria alternata play a key role in microbial community dynamics during fermentation. In addition, bacteria related to Lactobacillus sakei and the genera Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, and Psychrobacter  are central components of the microbial ecosystem in raw fermented sausages. Elucidating the exact role and interactions of these microorganisms has the potential to have direct impacts on the quality and safety of fermented foods.