Lipid oxidation pork flavor

Our own work has shown a great decrease In the concentration of the volatiles In the cured, as compared to uncured, meats (Figure 5) (Ifi). The concentration of aldehydes originally present in cooked pork was reduced to < 12 of their original quantities (Table III, unpublished results). However, we did not Identify any new flavor active compound which could have been responsible for the cured flavor. Lipid oxidation, as measured by TBA number, was almost eliminated In cooked pork by adding nitrite at a level of 150 ppm (13.) Furthermore in preliminary evaluations, our untrained panelists were unable to differentiate amongst the flavor of nitrite-cured meats prepared from beef, chicken, mutton and pork (unpublished results). 

Lipid-derived volatile compoimds dominate the flavor profile of pork cooked at temperatures below 100°C. The large numbers of heterocyclic compounds reported in the aroma volatiles of pork are associated with roasted meat rather than boiled meat where the temperature does not exceed 100 C (34,35). Of flie volatiles produced by lipid oxidation, aldehydes are the most significant flavor compounds (35,36). Octanal, nonanal, and 2-undecenal are oxidation products from oleic acid, and hexanal, 2-nonenal, and 2,4-decadienal are major volatile oxidation products of linoleic acid. 

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