Abstract: The bacterial community diversity, abundance and succession in chilled chicken were studied at different enrichment temperatures (4 and 37 ℃) by using Ion Torrent PGM high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were the dominant bacteria at the phylum level. At the genus level, Pseudomonas, Shewanellaceae and Acinetobacter were the dominant bacteria during the early stage of storage (0–4 d) with Pseudomonas accounting for the highest proportion (44.03%) upon enrichment at 4 ℃; during the middle and later periods of storage (6–12 d), Myroides increased rapidly and its content reached a level greater than that of Pseudomonas, which was identified as the dominant spoilage bacteria. At 37 ℃ enrichment temperature, Citrobacter, Proteus, Lactococcus and bacteria_p_other were predominant during the early stage of storage. During the middle and later periods of storage, Myroides and Wohlfahrtiimonas were the dominant spoilage bacteria, which significantly contributed to quality deterioration in chilled chicken. The changes in the bacterial community and diversity at the two enrichment temperatures could reflect the potential hygienic risk of chilled chicken. The results of this study provide a technical basis for effectively monitoring the quality and safety of chilled chicken during cold storage with and without temperature control.

Key words: chilled chicken, bacterial community diversity, high-throughput sequencing, enrichment temperature