Abstract：Yunnan dry-cured beef was processed from beef hindquarter using the traditional method. Six samples were collected before curing, during the mid- and late-curing stages, and after one, two and three months of fermentation and ripening, respectively and then the bacterial community structure and diversity in dry-cured beef at different processing stages were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophorsis (PCR-DGGE). The results showed that dry-cured beef was relatively rich in bacterial diversity, and the dominant bacterial populations in it were highly diverse. The highest bacterial diversity was found during the curing process of meat; there was a significant difference in the bacterial community structure between cured and uncured meat. The bacterial community structure remained similar at the same stage of processing. The bacterial community mainly consisted of Staphylococcus, Psychrobacter and Leuconostoc, with the predominance of L.mesenteroides subsp. dextranicum, along with unculturable bacteria, during the processing of dry-cured beef.
2017, Vol. 31 
