Abstract: Salami is a kind of meat product with special flavor, color and texture as well as long shelf life, which is made from pork or beef by microbial fermentation. The flavor of salami greatly affects its overall quality and sensory acceptability. Compared with natural fermentation, the application of artificial starter cultures can reduce the interference of environmental factors and ensure the stability of flavor substances. In particular, lactic acid bacteria can further reduce the acidity of salami through the metabolic activity in meat matrix, imparting a unique flavor to the product. This article discusses the factors that may influence flavor formation in salami. The contribution of lactic acid bacteria to the formation of flavor and the underlying metabolic mechanism are analyzed in detail from three aspects including protein metabolism, fat metabolism, and carbohydrate metabolism. We expect that this review will provide a theoretical basis for further studies on the flavor quality of salami.

Key words: salami; lactic acid bacteria; microbial fermentation; flavor; metabolic mechanism