Metagenomics and volatile metabolomics reveal microbial succession and flavor formation mechanisms during fermentation of Novel Pasture-style Laozao

were found to be crucial in influencing microbial community succession. The accumulation of organic acids was identified as the primary environmental factor driving changes in microbial community structure. Through correlation analysis, eight microbial species were identified as core microorganisms affecting flavor differences, and the metabolic networks of key flavor metabolites were reconstructed in conjunction with the KEGG database.