Effects of Macrococcus caseolyticus on the Volatile Flavor Substances of Chinese-Style Sausage

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the effects of Macrococcus caseolyticus isolated from Chinese bacon on the quality of Chinese-style sausages.

The physicochemical properties and volatile flavor compounds (VOCs) of sausages inoculated with M. caseolyticus at different concentrations (10⁵, 10⁶, and 10⁷ CFU/g) were investigated. VOCs were detected using gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS).

The sausages inoculated with M. caseolyticus showed progressive decreases in Aw, total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N), malondialdehyde and carbonyl content during fermentation compared to the control sausage. A total of 90 VOCs were identified based on GC-IMS analysis, including 20 esters, 17 aldehydes, 22 alcohols, 12 ketones, 5 acids compounds, and 14 other compounds. M. caseolyticus-inoculated sausages exhibited elevated levels in alcohols and aldehydes, while the content of ketones was reduced compared to the control sausage. Multivariate statistical analysis indicated the significant differences in volatile flavor profiles among the sample and control sausages. Notably, seven VOCs in sausages, including 1-octen-3-ol, isoamyl alcohol, heptanal, hexanal, methyl 2-methylbutyrate, ethyl isovalerate and 2-pinene, were identified as the key aroma compounds (ROAV ≥ 1).

The fermented sausages inoculated with different concentrations of M. caseolyticus exhibited significant differences in VOCs. This study provides the support for employing M. caseolyticus to improve the overall quality and flavor profile of Chinese-style sausage.