Aroma enhancement in dry cured loins by the addition of nitrogen and sulfur precursors

Volatile compounds comparison and mechanism exploration of non-smoked traditional Chinese bacon in Southwestern China and Eastern China

Non-smoked traditional Chinese bacon is popular in China. However, the aromas of the non-smoked bacon from Eastern China (EC bacon) and Southwestern China (SW bacon) differed significantly. This study investigated these differences and the key volatile compound formation mechanisms. A total of 175 volatile compounds were detected in the bacon samples, while 32 key aroma compounds were screened based on odor activity values (OAVs). Multivariate statistical analysis showed that ten odorants could be considered discriminative compounds, including hexanal, octanal, and 1-octen-3-ol, etc. The fatty aroma of EC bacon was mainly attributed to a higher aldehydes content, which is due to more oxidation of fatty acids. Meanwhile, the SW bacon smelled sweeter since there was more ester in the sample. The correlation analysis between the fatty acid profiles and key aroma compounds indicated that the discriminative aldehyde formation in the EC bacon was primarily attributed to oleic and linoleic acid oxidation, which were both potential biomarkers.

Understanding the impact of nitrogen and sulfur precursors on the aroma of dry fermented sausages

The goal of this study was to confirm and acquire more information about the nitrogen and sulfur compounds existing in the volatile profile of dry fermented sausages from the addition of precursors (proline, ornithine and thiamine), and their role in sausage aroma. To this end, the precursors were added to the formulation of sausages, which were submitted to a fermentation and drying process. The sausage aroma was analyzed by olfactometry technique and Free Choice Profile sensory analysis. The results showed that the addition of precursors impacted the aroma, and reduced the level of oxidation in the final sausages while microbial differences were mainly observed in Orn-sausages. Among the aroma compounds detected only 2-methyl-3-(methylthio)furan verified the effect of thiamine supplementation and the impact on the cured and savoury odours detected in Thia-sausages by Free Choice profile sensory analysis, while no clear effect could be attributed to specific volatile compounds in the nitrogen supplemented sausages.