Abstract:Staphylococcus xylosus was added in the processing of Sichuan bacon，and the physicochemical properties，texture，and flavor of the product were determined. The effect of starter addition on the product characteristics was then studied.The results showed that compared with the product without starter addition，S.xylosus significantly reduced thiobarbituric acid reactive substances（TBARS）from 0.246 mg/kg to 0.182 mg/kg，nitrite residue from 5.468 mg/kg to 4.608 mg/kg，and hardness value from 3 908.17 g to 2 966.88 g.Moreover，it improved product chewability from 710.40 g to 815.50 g and had no significant effect on moisture content，water activity（aw），pH value，chromatic values，elasticity，or cohesiveness. A total of 62 volatile flavor substances were detected in the product，and the addition of S.xylosus increased the species of aldehydes，esters，alkenes，alkanes，and others and the total number of volatile flavor substances.The odor activity values（OAVs）of 31 flavor substances were calculated，which showed that guaiacol contributed the most to the flavor formation of Sichuan bacon. The results demonstrated that adding S. xylosus had significant effects on inhibiting the lipid oxidation，degrading nitrite，improving the texture，and promoting the flavor formation of Sichuan bacon.