Tetragenococcus halophilus A003 altered microbiota andrepressed the accumulation of biogenic amines in thefermentation of fish sauce

[[abstract]]Fish sauce, a seasoning commonly utilized in East Asian cuisine, is produced from fish combined with a substantial quantity of salt. However, biogenic amines (BAs) accumulation poses safety concerns in fermented fish sauce during fermentation. This study characterized Tetrageno- coccus halophilus A003, isolated from fish sauce, which exhibited the weakest decarboxylase gene activation and lowest BA production among the tested strains. Starter inoculation with A003 yielded minimal chemical alteration compared to natural fermentation. Cadaverine levels were substantially lower (19.1 ±1.49 mg/l) than those in sauce fermented without a starter or with T. halophilu s BCRC12250. Histamine and tyra- mine were undetectable in isolate A003-inoculated samples. Metagenomic analysis revealed an enrichment of low BA-producing t axa, not ably Tetragenococcus and Staphylococcus, comprising 97.91% of the community. These findings suggest T. halophilus A003 confers a selective advantage for low BA microbiot a during fish sauce ferment ation.