Abstract: Fermented meat products are vulnerable to microbial contamination because of their long production cycle and rich nutrients, which can affect product quality and result in adverse effects on human health. As consumers pay increasing attention to the flavor and safety of fermented meat products, it is very important to explore the safety and flavor characteristics of meat products. Lactic acid bacteria were the first microorganisms isolated from fermented meat products, which are important dominant microorganisms in traditional fermented meat products and are closely related to product quality. In fermented meat products, lactic acid bacteria can not only produce antibacterial substances that inhibit the growth of harmful microorganisms and therefore improve the safety of meat products, but also improve the flavor of fermented meat products by affecting carbohydrate metabolism as well as protein and lipid decomposition and oxidation. This paper reviews the effect of lactic acid bacteria on improving the product quality by inhibiting the growth of harmful microorganisms in fermented meat products and the effect of lactic acid bacteria the flavor of fermented meat products in order to provide new ideas for future research of fermented meat products.

Key words: lactic acid bacteria; fermented meat products; bacteriostasis; flavor