Effect of partial replacement of NaCl by KCl and calcium ascorbate on the dynamics of bacterial community during storage of bacon based on 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing

The study employed high-throughput sequencing to monitor fluctuations in the abundance and composition of microbial communities during the storage of low-sodium bacon, which incorporated potassium chloride (KCl, 0.88%) and calcium ascorbate (0.44%) as substitutes for sodium chloride (NaCl). Analysis of 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing (16S-seq) revealed that the use of KCl and calcium ascorbate as alternatives resulted in a decreased microbial population size and altered community structure. Genus-level identification of bacteria revealed approximately 492 bacterial groups, with the most prevalent ones being Ralstonia, Bacillus, Sphingomonas, and Lactobacillus. Correlation analysis between physicochemical indicators and the top 10 bacterial species of the genus indicated a significant relationship (P < 0.001) between the physicochemical indicators and the results of the bacterial community (P < 0.001). In contrast, using NaCl as an alternative promoted the growth of Lactobacillus, which had varying degrees of impact on the structure of the bacterial community. The strong correlation between overall sensory score and microorganisms indicates that partial replacement of NaCl in bacon can affect the quality of bacon.