Abstract:polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons（PAHs）are a ubiquitous food hazard，and reducing their levels is crucial for enhancing product safety.In this simulation system，the abatement effect of coagulase-negative staphylococci on PAHs from various meat sources was investigated，and the strain with the most potent PAH-reducing ability was selected and its mechanism elucidated.The findings indicated that Staphylococcus equorum E1 exhibited the most significant reduction effect on PAHs in the simulated system（P<0.05）.Among the different cell components of S.equorum，whole cell extracts （WCE）and cell fragment suspensions had significant decreases in PAHs（P<0.05）.Further enzyme treatment revealed that the key subtractive substances in WCE were proteins.At the same time，the activity of PAHs degrading enzyme was detected in WCE，suggesting that S.equorum reduced the biodegradation pathway of PAHs.On the other hand，heat inactivation treatment significantly enhanced the capacity of S.equorum to degrade PAHs（P<0.05）.Fourier infrared spectroscopy revealed that WCE of S.equorum possessed functional groups associated with physical adsorption of PAHs，indicating a possible physical adsorption pathway involved in the degradation process.Therefore，S.equorum has the potential to reduce PAHs through biodegradation and physical adsorption，presenting a novel biological approach for reducing PAHs in food.