Abstract:The number of microorganisms in chilled rabbit meat, chili pepper, Chinese prickly ash, star anise, sesame, cumin, aromatic ginger, spices, cinnamon, and process water used in the production of Leng-chi rabbit was determined, and the main species of bacteria in these raw materials and various auxiliary materials were identified using a traditional culture method combined with 16S rDNA sequencing. Subsequently, traceability analysis was performed by constructing a phylogenetic tree. The results showed that a total of 76 bacterial strains from 20 genera were isolated from the raw and auxiliary materials. The materials were ranked according to the total number of colonies as follows: rabbit meat > cumin > chili pepper > spices > process water > aromatic ginger > star anise > cinnamon > Chinese prickly ash > sesame. The materials were ranked for the number of bacterial genera present, as follows: raw meat > chili pepper, cumin > spices, process water > Chinese prickly ash, star anise, sesame, cinnamon > aromatic ginger. Additionally, the ranking for number of bacterial species present was: spices > raw meat > cinnamon > chili pepper > star anise > aromatic ginger > cumin, Chinese prickly ash > sesame, process water. The bacterial diversity was high in the raw and auxiliary materials for Leng-chi rabbit. Bacillus was common in all materials; however, raw meat contained the most bacteria. This study provides an in-depth understanding of the contamination of raw and auxiliary materials used in the production of Leng-chi rabbit. Thus, it provides a theoretical basis for controlling the species and quantity of bacteria from each source and improving production process management and safety.
