2024 Volume 61 Issue 2 Pages 42-51
Volatile fractions, i.e., strongly acidic fraction, strongly acidic fraction with fatty acid removed, weakly acidic fraction, and neutral fraction, were prepared from roasted pork longissimus muscle, and subjected to odor evaluation by a trained panel using Check-All-That-Apply questions. A total of 20 items, each checked with a probability of 0.0217 or higher, were selected to describe the odor characteristics of each volatile fraction. With the use of these descriptors, strongly acidic fraction was characterized as “sweat-like” and “beast-like,” strongly acidic fraction with fatty acid removed was characterized as “sweet” and “toasty,” and neutral fraction was characterized as “earthy,” “muddy,” “hay,” and “musty”. As fraction volume increased, the probability of these odor items being checked also increased. In weakly acidic fraction, the odor traits were intermediate, falling between the strongly acidic and neutral fractions. However, “pork-like odor” was hardly perceptible in any of the fractions. The volatile fractionation procedure and the 20 odor descriptors presented in this study can be used to identify odor characteristics and substances in pork meat.
