METAGENOMIC INSIGHTS INTO FOOD MICROBIOTA DYNAMICS: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF STORAGE-INDUCED MICROBIAL SHIFTS

Food microbiome has a big influence on food safety, standards, and shelf life. Microbial dynamics also change while food is being stored for a variety of reasons. The use of metagenomic techniques to decipher the complicated relationships between food microbiota and storage conditions is examined in this review, offering fresh perspectives on microbial interactions and community dynamics. The limitations of traditional culturing techniques have led to the development of metagenomic methodologies, which provide unmatched insights into food storage microbiology by exposing complete microbial communities, their interactions, and functional alterations. The paper compares traditional and metagenomic techniques and highlights important aspects influencing microbial dynamics during storage, it also emphasises the need of taking food microbiome and microbial alterations during storage into account. This review provides insights into microbial behaviour and its impact on food safety and quality by demonstrating the application of metagenomic analysis to these food categories. The review also addresses the effects of microbial changes brought on by storage on the nutritional value, sensory qualities, spoiling hazards, and shelf-life estimation of food. Finally, it looks at new developments that could enhance storage procedures and guarantee food safety in the future, like real-time monitoring, predictive modelling, and combining metagenomics with other omics technologies.