Flavor is amongst the major personal satisfaction indicators for meat products. The aroma of dry cured meat products is generated under specific conditions such as long ripening periods and mild temperatures. In these conditions, the contribution of Maillard reactions to the generation of the dry cured flavor is unknown. The main purpose of this study was to examine mild curing conditions such as temperature, pH and aw for the generation of volatile compounds responsible for the cured meat aroma in model systems simulating dry fermented sausages. The different conditions were tested in model systems resembling dry fermented sausages at different stages of production. Three conditions of model system, labeled initial (I), 1st drying (1D) and 2nd drying (2D) and containing different concentrations of amino acid and curing additives, as well as different pH and aw values, were incubated at different temperatures. Changes in the profile of the volatile compounds were investigated by solid phase microextraction and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (SPME-GS-MS) as well as the amino acid content. Seventeen volatile compounds were identified and quantified in the model systems. A significant production of branched chain volatile compounds, sulfur, furans, pyrazines and heterocyclic volatile compounds were detected in the model systems. At the drying stages, temperature was the main factor affecting volatile production, followed by amino acid concentration and aw. This research demonstrates that at the mild curing conditions used to produce dry cured meat product volatile compounds are generated via the Maillard reaction from free amino acids. Moreover, in these conditions aw plays an important role promoting formation of flavor compounds.

No abstract

No abstract

This study assessed the effect of replacing pork lard with coconut oil and Debaryomyces hansenii inoculation on the biotransformation of amino acids into volatile compounds in a meat model system. Yeast counts, solid-phase microextraction, and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry were used to assess yeast growth and volatile production, respectively. Yeast growth was confirmed until 28 d, although the volatile profile changed until 39 d. Forty-three volatiles were quantified, and their odor activity values (OAVs) were calculated. The presence of fat and yeasts contributed to differences in volatiles. In pork lard models, a delayed formation of lipid-derived aldehyde compounds was observed, whereas in coconut oil models, the generation of acid compounds and their respective esters was enhanced. Yeast activity affected amino acid degradation, which produced an increase in branched-chain aldehydes and alcohols. The aroma profile in the coconut models was influenced by hexanal, acid compounds, and their respective esters, whereas in pork lard models, aroma was affected by methional (musty, potato) and 3-methylbutanal (green, cocoa). The yeast inoculation contributed to the generation of 3-methylbutanoic acid (cheesy) and phenylethyl alcohol (floral). The type of fat and yeast inoculation produced a differential effect on the aroma.