Study on microbial community and physicochemical properties of braised chicken during processing and storage microbial community of braised chicken

Abstract Braised chicken is a popular meat product with an attractive appearance, delicious taste, and rich nutrition. High‐throughput sequencing technology (HTS) was utilized to comprehensively characterize the dynamics of the microbial community during processing and storage (4°C). The physicochemical properties (pH, moisture content, total volatile base nitrogen (TVB‐N), and the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS)) and colony counts were also evaluated. The microbial community of braised chicken was different between processing and storage. Weissella and Psychrobacter were the dominant genera during processing; Acinetobacter , Pseudomonas , Enterobacter , Aeromonas , and Aneurinibacillus were the dominant genera in storage. The microbial counts (total viable count [TVC], Pseudomonas , LAB, and Enterobacteriaceae ) decreased gradually during hot working processing, but increased during storage. After the warranty, TVC and Enterobacteriaceae counts exceeded the limit for cooked meat products. TBARS and TVB‐N increased from 0.089 to 0.400 mg/kg and 0.52 to 2.03 mg/kg, respectively, during processing and storage, and TVB‐N content exceeded the limit of cooked meat products after the warranty. Spearman's correlation analysis showed that Pseudomonas , Enterobacter , and Aeromonas were significantly positively correlated with the spoilage index (TVB‐N and TBARS). Amino acid metabolism and carbohydrate metabolism were also significantly positively correlated with them，indicating that Pseudomonas , Enterobacter , and Aeromonas may be the main microorganisms that cause spoilage of braised chicken. This study revealed the possible spoilage microorganisms of braised chicken during processing and storage, which was helpful to improve the quality and safety of braised chicken.