Abstract: The aim of this study was to extend the shelf life of roast duck legs, and to maintain its eating quality and to clarify the microbial community dynamics during storage. This experiment investigated the effects of different modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) (100% N2, 50% CO2 + 50% N2) on microbial counts (total viable counts, lactic acid bacteria and Enterobacteriaceae), thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) level and sensory evaluation during storage at 0-4 ℃, with tray packaging as the control. High-throughput sequencing was also used to analyze microbial diversity. Compared with MAP with 100% N2 and the control, MAP with 50% CO2 + 50% N2 extended the shelf life up to 21 d by inhibiting the growth of bacteria (P < 0.05); meanwhile, this package method decreased lipid oxidation (P < 0.05) and maintained the quality and sensory characteristics of roast duck legs. Storage time and packaging had a significant effect on bacterial community compositions at the late storage stage. Pantoea spp., Myroides spp., Pseudomonas spp. and Acinetobacter spp. were the dominant bacteria in the 50% CO2 + 50% N2 group, while Brochothrix spp., Pantoea spp., Pseudomonas spp., Carnobacterium spp. and Leuconostoc spp. were the dominant bacteria in the 100% N2 group. The difference in the predominant bacteria may greatly contribute to the difference in shelf life among packaging treatments.

Key words: roast duck legs, modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), shelf life, microbial diversity, high-throughput sequencing