Int J Food Microbiol. 2026 May 15;457:111849. doi: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2026.111849. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
This study aimed to explore the spoilage mechanisms and flavour deterioration characteristics of cold-stored chicken breast induced by three typical psychrotrophic spoilage bacteria Brochothrix thermosphacta, Serratia liquefaciens and Serratia marcescens. Despite reaching the highest cell numbers, B. thermosphacta generated relatively low total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), whereas S. liquefaciens and S. marcescens caused a faster pH rise and TVB-N accumulation. Metabolic fingerprints were clearly separated by species. B. thermosphacta was more strongly associated with peptide accumulation, lipid remodelling, and sulphur-containing off-odours, while Serratia spp. showed greater perturbation of amino acid, nucleotide, and central carbon metabolism together with stronger formation of nitrogenous off-flavour compounds. Pathway-level analysis highlighted pyruvate, acetyl-CoA, glutamate, and IMP as shared metabolic hubs linking central carbon and nitrogen metabolism with the accumulation of organic acids and sulphur- and nitrogen-containing volatiles. These findings define distinct, strain-dependent spoilage strategies in chilled chicken and provide a mechanistic basis for risk ranking and targeted control of spoilage bacteria in cold chain meat.
PMID:42143471 | DOI:10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2026.111849