Microbial community structure and biogenic amines content variations in chilled chicken during storage.

The aim of this study was to investigate the sensory indicators, biogenic amine contents, and bacterial community structure and diversity of chilled chicken stored at 4°C under aerobic conditions. Bacterial diversity and dominant bacteria were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing technique (HTS). The relationship between biogenic amine contents and microbial community structure was studied. The results showed that contents of putrescine and cadaverine increased significantly with storage time. Proteobacteria was absolutely dominant flora at the phylum level. The predominant spoilage bacteria found in chicken thighs were , , , , and , and the difference with chicken breasts was related to the presence of and absence of . , , and were reported for the first time as an important contributor to the spoilage-related microflora Bacterial diversity and richness indices showed fluctuating and decreasing trend with storage time. The redundancy analysis showed that the relative abundance of , , and was positively related to the contents of putrescine, cadaverine, and tyramine, while and showed positive relationship with putrescine content. Furthermore, positive relationship of and with the contents of cadaverine and tyramine was proposed for the first time. The key findings of this study can provide experimental data for food safety monitoring during refrigerated storage and preservation for poultry meat products.