Analysis of biogenic amines in salt-reduced Harbin dry sausages: From the perspective of free amino acid profile and bacterial community composition

This study aimed to investigate the effect of various NaCl addition levels (2.5%, 2.0%, 1.75%, and 1.5%) on biogenic amines (BAs) accumulation in dry sausage during 12-day fermentation. At the genus level, 92 genera were identified, with Weissella , Lactobacillus , and Staphylococcus as the dominant ones at the end of fermentation. NaCl content changes induced alterations in the bacterial community; specifically, Weissella and Staphylococcus had higher abundances in the 2.5% treatment, while Lactobacillus was more abundant in the 1.5% treatment. These variations in the bacterial community might affect BA accumulation. On the day 12, the total free amino acid (FAA) content increased as NaCl addition decreased, reaching 13.25 mg/g in the 1.50% treatment, which was due to different proteolysis degrees caused by bacterial community composition changes from varying NaCl concentrations. During fermentation, BA content gradually accumulated and peaked on day 12. In the 1.5% treatment, putrescine and cadaverine were 107.79 mg/kg and 242.13 mg/kg, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that four genera ( Weissella , Lactobacillus , Staphylococcus , and Leuconostoc ) were positively correlated with BAs, suggesting their BA-producing potential. This study indicates that the NaCl content in dry sausages might control BA accumulation by influencing the bacterial community composition and the precursor FAA content. • Changes in NaCl content can alter bacterial community composition. • Weissella , Lactobacillus , and Staphylococcus were predominant on day 12. • Low NaCl content enhanced meat proteolysis, resulting in increased FAA content. • The biogenic amine content accumulates gradually and reached highest on day 12. • The cadaverine content was as high as 242.13 mg/kg in the 1.5% treatment on day 12.