Assessing the microbiome of a poultry burger processing line: A combined approach using culturing techniques and metabarcoding

Merino, Natalia (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Espina, Laura ; Pagán, Elisa ; Vlamakis, Hera ; Grasa, Laura (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Berdejo, Daniel (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Pagán, Rafael (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; García–Gonzalo, Diego (Universidad de Zaragoza)

Resumen: Culture-dependent techniques have been traditionally employed to characterize the microbiota of food products and processing environments. However, culture-independent techniques, such as metabarcoding, are increasingly used as they provide a more comprehensive and accurate understanding of the microbial communities. This study integrated culturing techniques and metabarcoding to provide complementary insights into the microbiome of a poultry burger processing line. Samples included chicken thighs, burgers, expired burgers, and different work surfaces. Metabarcoding indicated that the predominant genera were Pseudomonas, Psychrobacter, Brochothrix, Acinetobacter, Carnobacterium and Lactobacillus. This was consistent with culturing results, which showed Pseudomonadaceae as the predominant family, followed by lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Metabarcoding revealed a significant shift in the microbial composition of burger samples after the shelf-life period, characterized by an increase in the relative abundance of LAB, a change missed by culturing techniques. Food-contact surfaces showed a different microbiome composition compared to poultry products and were not considered a source of food contamination. Notably, metabarcoding highlighted the significant influence of seasonality (winter vs. summer) on the microbiome composition. The insights provided by metabarcoding underscore the importance of incorporating culture-independent methods into the microbiome characterization of food products and food processing environments.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.1016/j.lwt.2025.117392

Año: 2025

Publicado en: LWT-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 217 (2025), 117392 [8 pp.]
ISSN: 0023-6438

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA/A06-23R
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MCIU/FPU17-02441
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MCIU/PID2021-123404NB-I00

Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)

Área (Departamento): Área Nutrición Bromatología (Dpto. Produc.Animal Cienc.Ali.)
Área (Departamento): Área Fisiología (Dpto. Farmac.Fisiol.y Med.L.F.)
Área (Departamento): Área Tecnología de Alimentos (Dpto. Produc.Animal Cienc.Ali.)

Dataset asociado: Sequence Read Archive of the National Center of Biotechnology Information (NCBI) ( PRJNA1182963)