Microbial Quality and Bacterial Community Succession of 10 Oxygen‐Permeable Vacuum Skin‐Packaged Seafood Products During Post‐Thaw Refrigerated Storage

ABSTRACT

High oxygen‐permeable vacuum skin packaging (10K VSP) is widely used for frozen seafood distribution to mitigate anaerobic pathogen risks, yet post‐thaw microbial dynamics during refrigerated display remain poorly characterized. This study evaluated post‐thaw microbial quality and bacterial community succession across 10 commercially frozen‐then‐thawed seafood species held under simulated retail refrigeration (4°C) on Days 1, 5, and 9. Aerobic plate counts, lactic acid bacteria, and coliform/ Escherichia coli indicator counts were determined, and bacterial communities were characterized using high‐throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Average aerobic plate counts increased from 3.57 ± 1.03 log CFU/g on Day 1 to 6.00 ± 0.84 log CFU/g on Day 5 and 7.30 ± 0.64 log CFU/g on Day 9, although growth patterns differed among seafood products. Several products reached or exceeded microbial acceptability limits by Day 5 or Day 9. Sequencing revealed an ecological transition from initial Photobacterium and Psychrobacter dominance to a shift toward spoilage‐associated genera, particularly Pseudomonas and Brochothrix , during refrigerated storage under the tested oxygen‐permeable VSP condition. These findings provide study‐specific information on post‐thaw microbial changes in 10K VSP seafood products that may help inform future refrigerated handling and display recommendations.