Bacillus species play an important role in improving the quality of some fermented foods and are also one of the dominant bacteria in Yibin Yacai (fermented mustard). However, little is known about their effects on the quality of Yibin Yacai. Here, the effect of Bacillus marcorestinctum YC-1 on the quality and microbial communities of Yibin Yacai during the fermentation process was investigated. Results indicated that the inoculation of Bacillus marcorestinctum YC-1 promoted the growth of Weissella spp. and Lactobacillus spp. and inhibited the growth of pathogens, accelerating the synthesis of free amino acids and organic acids and the degradation of nitrite. Furthermore, inoculating Yibin Yacai with YC-1 could effectively enhance the synthesis of alcohols and terpenoids in yeasts, thus producing more linalool, terpinen-4-ol, and α-muurolen in Yibin Yacai, and endowing it with pleasant floral, fruity, woody, and spicy aromas. These findings reveal that the inoculation of B. marcorestinctum YC-1 can improve the quality and safety of Yibin Yacai by changing microbial communities as fermentation proceeds.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of aqueous solutions of ethanol (25%, v/v) and ascorbic acid (AA, 1%, m/v) alone and in combination, along with modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) or vacuum packaging (VP), on the physicochemical properties and microbial quality of fresh‐cut Chinese yam slices during 4°C storage. The data showed that ethanol (25%, v/v) combined with AA (1%, m/v) and MAP treatment resulted in the lowest changes for headspace gas composition, color, electrical conductivity, overall visual quality, aerobic plate count population, and mold and yeast population in fresh‐cut Chinese yam over 21 days of 4°C cold storage, which was more effective at both inhibiting microbial growth and delaying browning than ethanol or AA alone or a commonly used sanitizer, sodium hypochlorite. The experiment on packaging demonstrated that samples treated with VP and 25% ethanol with 1% (m/v) AA dip can only preserve the sensory qualities of fresh‐cut Chinese yam slices up to 7 days at 4°C, but 25% (v/v) ethanol in conjunction with 1% (m/v) AA packed with MAP had antibrowning potential and maintained the quality of fresh‐cut Chinese yam slices up to 14 days when stored at 4°C.