Microbiome characterization of two fresh pork cuts during production in a pork fabrication facility.

The goal of this study was to characterize the microbial profile of two different fresh pork cuts, bootjack (BJ) trim and tenderloin (TL), through a 16S rRNA sequencing workflow developed specifically for investigating low-biomass fresh meat within a commercial production schedule. Additionally, this study aimed to determine a baseline prevalence and enumeration profile across these two fresh pork cuts. Results showed that microbiome diversity was different between the BJ and TL, and also differed significantly by processing date.