Revealing microbial community composition and disinfection efficacy evaluation in wholesale pork markets through 16S rDNA sequencing

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis study has employed 16S rDNA analysis to elucidate the characteristics of the microbial community in the surroundings, facilities, and meat samples collected from a pork wholesale market with the aim of revealing bacterial contamination. In addition, the efficacy of sodium hypochlorite disinfectant was assessed by comparing the bacterial communities in the viable samples before and after disinfection. The bacterial abundances in meat, chopping boards, and knives were positively correlated (r > 0.95, p < .05), suggesting potential cross-contamination risks during market transactions. The species richness indices for the external transport vehicles, pork hooks, and floors were significantly different from those of the samples taken after decontamination (p < .05). Linear discriminant analysis Effect Size (LEfSe) analyses showed that Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Chloroflexi were significantly more abundant in the transaction period, whereas Bacteroidetes levels decreased compared to the clean-up period. NaClO disinfection altered the composition of bacterial communities.

Keywords

• Pork
• wholesaler
• 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing
• bacterial contamination
• NaClO disinfection