Non-volatile metabolite changes in low-temperature sausage stored at room temperature

The aim of the present study was to evaluate changes in the composition of non-volatile metabolites in low-temperature sausage, stored for periods of 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, or 12 d, at 20 °C. Evaluations were conducted using untargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS)-based metabolomics. Compared with samples from day 0, significant differences (variable importance in projection (VIP) > 2, p < 0.05) were observed in 245 non-volatile metabolites, divided into 9 classes, in samples from the remaining storage periods. Moreover, an increased abundance of amino acids, peptides, and acylcarnitines potentially indicated increased protein catabolism and incomplete β-oxidation, followed by quality deterioration. These findings provide further understanding of the metabolic changes that occur in low-temperature meat products during storage, which could contribute to the identification of chemical biomarkers to assess meat quality.