Profiling of microbial populations present in ground beef and plant-based meat analogues

• Published in: Food science & technology Vol. 196; p. 115845
• Main Authors: Li, Xiran, Wang, Hongye, Guo, Chenxi, Wang, Luxin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 15.03.2024
• Subjects: 16s rRNA; Food quality; Food safety; ITS; Meat alternative; Meat substitute; Microbiota; Plant protein; Refrigeration; Spoilage; Temperature abuse; Meat substitute; Microbiota; Spoilage; Temperature abuse; Plant protein; ITS; 16s rRNA; Food safety; Meat alternative; Food quality; Refrigeration
• ISSN: 0023-6438; 1096-1127
• DOI: 10.1016/j.lwt.2024.115845

Plant-based meat analogues have gained significant popularity in recent years. Different from ground beef, plant-based meat analogues are derived from a broader range of raw ingredients and undergo more complex manufacturing processes. In this study, 16S rRNA and internal transcribed spacer sequencing techniques were employed to profile and compare the microbial populations present in ground beef (GB), soy-, and pea-based meat analogues (SBM and PBM), and their changes during refrigeration (4 °C) and ambient temperature storage (22 °C). The sequencing results illustrated remarkable microbial differences among GB, PBM, and SBM. Pseudomonas, Brochothrix, and Lactobacillus were the top dominate bacterial genera, Cladosporium, Candida, and Komagataella were the top dominant fungal genera present in GB, PBM, and SBM respectively. At the end of storage, dominant microorganisms present in meat samples, in general, were determined by meat types and storage temperatures, except for SBM. For example, in PBM, refrigeration favored the proliferation of Leuconostoc, while Lactococcus emerged as the primary genus at ambient temperature. For SBM, Lactobacillus and Komagataella were dominate bacterial and fungal species regardless of the storage temperatures. These findings provide crucial information for the development of preventive measures to ensure the microbial safety and quality of plant-based meat analogues. •Ground beef has the highest initial microbial diversity than plant-based meat.•Dominant spoilage microbes are determined by meat types and storage conditions.•Soy-based meat analogues have lower microbial diversity than pea-based meat.•Lactic acid bacteria are the main spoilage bacteria of plant-based meat analogues.•Komagetaella was one major fungal taxa in plant-based meat analogues.