Changes in volatile organic compounds of tray-packed fresh beef sausages under refrigeration: The roles of dominant spoilage bacteria

This study aimed to investigate the change of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in fresh beef sausages during refrigerated storage and assess the relationship between VOC levels and microbial population. Forty-one VOCs were detected using headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-olfactometry-mass spectrometry (GC-O-MS). The results of the 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing indicated that the spoilage bacteria predominated were Brochothrix and Serratia . Acetoin, hexanal and 1-octen-3-ol were significantly positively related to Brochothrix (Mantel's r  = 0.95, p  = 0.017) and Serratia (Mantel's r  = 0.81, p  = 0.024) levels. As the key VOCs, these three compounds may serve as spoiling indicators for tray-packed fresh beef sausages. This study elucidates the production of VOCs by microbial roles in fresh beef sausages and offers insights for prolonging the shelf life.