Wan Yunxiao, Zhang Min, Sheng Linglong, Yang Yankang, Huang Jiaxin, Jin Zerong, Li Jianlong, Li Qin, Zhao Ning, Hu Kaidi, Liu Shuliang
College of Food Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, People's Republic of China.
Chengdu SNS Biotechnology Co. Ltd., Chengdu, People's Republic of China.
J Food Sci. 2025 Jul;90(7):e70434. doi: 10.1111/1750-3841.70434.
Microorganisms play a critical role in determining the quality of fermented chili paste. However, spoilage microorganisms residing on the surface of chili peppers can compromise sensory attributes and reduce edibility. This study aims to adopt chlorine dioxide to reduce spoilage microorganisms prior to fermentation, and the effects on chili paste quality were systematically evaluated. The pretreatment (soaking in 75 mg/L chlorine dioxide solution for 10 min) significantly reduced microbial richness and abundance on chili surfaces. Physicochemical analysis indicated that this reduction facilitated fermentation, as evidenced by increased total acid and decreased levels of nitrite, capsaicin, and reducing sugars. Inoculation with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) further enhanced flavor development by promoting the accumulation of lactic acid, malic acid, and acetic acid, while suppressing the formation of bitter amino acids. These changes contributed to a sweet, floral, and fruity aroma profile. In total, 64 volatile compounds were identified, including 23 characteristic aroma components such as ethanol, citronellol, acetoin, phenylethyl alcohol, and ethyl acetate. Fermentation following sterilization and LAB inoculation resulted in a higher content and more layered composition of volatile flavor components. Overall, bacteria-reducing pretreatment markedly improves the quality and flavor complexity of fermented chili paste. The problems such as the long fermentation period and insufficient flavor of chili paste under the conditions of unsterilized pretreatment and natural fermentation have been solved. Practical Applications: Few reports address the combination of chlorine dioxide pretreatment with targeted LAB inoculation in chili paste preparation. Bacteria-reducing pretreatment greatly improved the safety quality of fermented chili paste. Bacteria-reducing pretreatment enriched the flavor of chili paste, and provided fruity, floral and sweet aroma.
微生物在决定发酵辣椒酱的品质方面起着关键作用。然而，辣椒表面存在的腐败微生物会损害感官特性并降低可食用性。本研究旨在采用二氧化氯在发酵前减少腐败微生物，并系统评估其对辣椒酱品质的影响。预处理（在75 mg/L二氧化氯溶液中浸泡10分钟）显著降低了辣椒表面的微生物丰富度和丰度。理化分析表明，这种减少促进了发酵，总酸增加以及亚硝酸盐、辣椒素和还原糖水平降低证明了这一点。接种乳酸菌（LAB）通过促进乳酸、苹果酸和乙酸的积累进一步增强了风味发展，同时抑制了苦味氨基酸的形成。这些变化促成了甜、花香和果香的香气特征。总共鉴定出64种挥发性化合物，包括23种特征香气成分，如乙醇、香茅醇、乙偶姻、苯乙醇和乙酸乙酯。灭菌和接种LAB后的发酵导致挥发性风味成分的含量更高且组成更丰富。总体而言，减少细菌的预处理显著提高了发酵辣椒酱的品质和风味复杂性。解决了未灭菌预处理和自然发酵条件下辣椒酱发酵周期长和风味不足等问题。实际应用：很少有报道涉及在辣椒酱制备中二氧化氯预处理与靶向接种LAB的结合。减少细菌的预处理极大地提高了发酵辣椒酱的安全质量。减少细菌的预处理丰富了辣椒酱的风味，并提供了果香、花香和甜味香气。
