Analysis of biogenic amine in dry sausages collected from northeast China: From the perspective of free amino acid profile and bacterial community composition

[Display omitted] •Putrescine and spermine were the dominant biogenic amines (BAs) in all dry sausages.•BA accumulation was closely related to their precursor free amino acids.•Staphylococcus and Weissella were the dominant genera in dry sausages.•Thirteen core species were significantly correlated with BAs. This study aimed to investigate the biogenic amines (BAs) in dry sausages collected from different regions in northeast China; explore the potential correlation amongst BAs, free amino acids (FAAs) and bacterial communities; and determine the key bacteria that produced or inhibited BAs. The contents of BAs significantly differed amongst various dry sausages. The dominating BAs were putrescine and spermine. Further analysis of the FAA profile and its relationship with BAs showed that a large number of available precursor FAAs could cause the accumulation of their corresponding BAs. A total of 118 genera were identified in dry sausages amongst which Staphylococcus and Weissella were the dominant genera. From the correlation between BAs and species, 13 core species were significantly correlated with BAs; amongst them, 11 were positively correlated, and two were negatively correlated. This work assessed the levels of BAs in dry sausages from northeast China and demonstrated that available FAAs and complex bacterial composition were closely related to BA accumulation.