Abstract:Ethyl Carbamate (EC) is a genotoxic and highly carcinogenic metabolite produced during the fermentation and storage of fermented foods and alcoholic beverages. Therefore, the control of EC content in fermented foods is an essential topic in the field of food safety research. In this study, strains degrading ethyl carbamate in vinegar brewing mass and fermented grains of Baijiu were isolated using EC as the sole carbon source. Forty-eight ethyl carbamate degrading strains were obtained, which were identified as 14 different genera, including Candidaethanolis, Rhodium magnolia, Delftia sp., Enterococcus durans, Bacillus sq. and Enterococcus faecium, etc. The isolated Lysinibacillus fusiformis and Candida ethanolica were embedded and applied to remove EC from Chinese liquor after embedding and fixation. Strikingly, the concentration of EC in liquor decreased significantly. The results showed that the EC concentration in Chinese liquor decreased from 230.37 μg/L to 78.12 μg/L (L. fusiformis) and 86.97 μg/L (C. ethanolica) in both treatment groups at 12 h, with EC degradation rates of 66.09% and 62.25%, respectively. The results of this study can provide a reference for the excavation of acid-tolerant, ethanol-tolerant, ethyl carbamate hydrolase producing strains.