Bacterial community dynamics during different stages of processing of smoked bacon using the 16S rRNA gene amplicon analysis

To identify the microbial community and origin of the spoilage flora of bacon, the changes in microbial population numbers and community structure were followed along the processing line, using culture-independent and culture-dependent methods. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing (16S-seq) analysis showed that community complexity and structure significantly differed at different processing stages. Some 428 bacterial groups were ascertained at genus level, and Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Psychrobacter, and Brochothrix were the predominant bacteria on raw meats. After curing specimens dominated by Psychrobacter, Weissella, Vibrio, Leuconostoc, Myroides, Acinetobacter, and Lactobacillus, a total of 33 species were identified by traditional microbiological analyses and direct sequence determination methods. Our results indicated that curing should be considered one of the primary factors during various processing steps, presumably contaminating the products directly or indirectly.