Dynamic microbial community and metabolic profiling in refrigerated beef: Insights from diverse packaging strategies

Extending the shelf life of fresh beef is essential for meat industry. This study explored the microbial community succession, metabolic profile changes, and their interactions during refrigerated storage of beef under different packaging methods. The results showed that compared with air packaging (AP), vacuum packaging (CV) and vacuum skin packaging (VS) maintained higher microbial diversity over longer periods. Among 1,106 metabolites identified, lipids and lipid-like molecules were most prominent. Unique pathways in VS beef, such as oxidative phosphorylation and calcium signaling pathways, underscored its advantages in maintaining beef flavor and oxidation stability. Moreover, dozens of metabolites were identified as potential biomarkers of the treatment effects of different packaging methods. Correlation analysis presented a significant positive correlation between bacterial genera like Brochothrix, Acinetobacter, Serratia, and metabolites such as lipids, organic acids, and nucleotides. This research offers essential insights for optimizing product safety and extending shelf life in the future meat industry.