the aim of the study was the comparison of the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of capons and cockerels. the experiment involved 80 rhode island red (r-11) cockerels, which were randomly assigned to two groups with 40 birds per group. Group i (control) consisted of uncastrated cockerels, and group ii was comprised of birds subjected to castration at 9 weeks of age. the castration was performed under local anaesthesia by a veterinary surgeon. the birds received the same diets ad libitum and were kept on litter under optimal environmental conditions, at a stocking density of 7 birds/m 2 . at the end of fattening, 8 birds whose body weights were similar to the group average were selected for slaughter from each group. after slaughter, the birds were checked for castration success (removal of the testes), analysed for dressing percentage and technological parameters of the meat and subjected to chemical and sensory evaluation of the breast and leg muscles. in summary, the castration of rhode island red cockerels (r-11) had a favourable effect on body weight, feed conversion ratio, dressing percentage and carcass muscling. the breast and leg muscles of the capons were characterised by better water holding capacity, tenderness and sensory score compared to the uncastrated cockerels. in addition, the castration had a positive effect on the content of crude protein in both the breast and leg muscles which, with a higher crude fat content, were characterised by a more favourable profile of fatty acids, i.e. lower sfa and higher n-6 and n-3 pUfa content.Key words: capon, meat quality, fatty acid, sensorial evaluation, spme-GC-ms, chemometricsAccording to the Codex Alimentarius FAO/WHO, meat quality is defined as a combination of attributes that meet specific demands and make meat desirable for food. Over the last several years there has been an increasing number of consum-*This study was financed from statutory activity, project no. 03-010.01.

The aim of this article is to examine how the sense of smell and aroma compounds influence the quality of food of animal origin, and to review gas chromatography-olfactometry methods of volatile substances analysis that can help to promote regional animal products. Smell and smell-inducing compounds play an important role in human life. people have made use of aromatic herbs and spices for ages. The classification of smells was developed by, among others, Aristotle, Linnaeus, Zwaardemaker, as well as amoore, the creator of the stereochemical theory of olfaction. Smell is also of exceptional importance in a consumer's evaluation of food quality. achievements in the area of chromatography, mass spectrometry and olfactometry have contributed to the development of tests for the content of volatile compounds in food materials, e.g. milk, cheese or meat. analysis of these compounds is more and more often applied to regional products that are commonly characterised by different olfactory properties. the study's results of raw meat of different animal species show that nutria meat and mutton differ the most from others. apart from genetic factors, meat composition depends on feeding method, quality and type of fodder, method of cutting, meat seasoning, ph and temperature of processing. chromatographic and olfactometric tests on animal products, in conjunction with chemometrics, can contribute to the development of reliable characteristics and help to identify the products' origin. these tests are becoming an inseparable part of the policy of promotion of regional products with specific taste and olfactory properties.

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Aroma-active compounds in the roasted leg meat of White Kołuda goose were assayed by gas chromatography− olfactometry, using aroma extract dilution analysis and solvent-assisted flavor evaporation. Quantitation, recombination−omission tests, and sensory evaluation were carried out. Thirty aroma compounds, for which odor activity values (OAVs) were calculated and for which the flavor dilution factors were greater than or equal to 1, were identified. The concentration of aroma compounds ranged from 0.06 to 633 (μg/kg). The highest OAVs (>1024) were for 2-furfurylthiol, 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, and 1-octen-3-one. Nine key aroma compounds were: 2-furfurylthiol, 2-acetyl-2-thiazoline, 1-octen-3-one, 2-phenylethanethiol, 4,5-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-2(5H)furanone, 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone, (E,E)-2,4-decadienal, 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, and 3-(methylthio)propanal. The intensity of the dominating roasted, meaty/broth, and fatty notes in the recombination model consisting of the key odorants were rated (10-point scale) at 4.6−5.8 points, relative to the original roasted goose (5.2−6.2). The aroma compounds defined predominantly the meaty, roasted, and fatty flavors during the descriptive sensory evaluation of the roasted goose meat.