Untargeted Profiling and Differentiation of Volatiles in Varieties of Meat Using GC Orbitrap MS

Development of a highly reproducible GC-HRMS method for determination of Skatole in pig tissues

This study presents a sensitive and reproducible mass spectrometry method for quantifying skatole in porcine adipose tissue, muscle, and serum samples applicable for abattoirs and laboratories. Leveraging gas chromatography-high-resolution Orbitrap microscopy and microwave-assisted liquefication of the adipose tissue, the method demonstrates robust performance across key parameters. Impressive linearity (R2) values of 0.9999 and 0.9996 for adipose tissue and serum, respectively. Notably, the method exhibits a low Limit of Detection (LoD) of 0.5 ppb for adipose tissue and 0.9 ppb for serum, with corresponding Limits of Quantification (LoQ) at 1.65 ppb and 3.04 ppb, respectively. The method showed significant reproducibility of 5.9% and repeatability (RSD%) of 8.78% for adipose tissue and 4.08% for serum, with recovery rates of 90% and 87%, respectively. This streamlined method offers promising, effective quantification of boar taint compounds, emphasizing its sensitivity and reproducibility.

Markers for meat provenance and authenticity with an account of its defining factors and quality characteristics - a review

Provenance is becoming increasingly important in meat supply chains as it lends products higher perceived quality. However, its precise definition and interpretation along with its associated characteristics factors have remained somewhat elusive. This review meticulously defines meat provenance while dissecting the essential factors and associated quality attributes that constitute its essence and are subsequently employed to establish pertinent markers for provenance. Meat provenance emerges as a multi-dimensional construct stemming from the adept management of a constellation of factors relating to geographical origin, farm production system, traceability, and authenticity. Through intricate interactions, these factors unveil innate originality that not only forges a distinct reputation but also imparts a unique typicity to the meat product. Gaining insights into a meat product's provenance becomes attainable by scrutinizing its pertinent composition and organoleptic quality traits. Trace elements and stable isotopes stand out as provenance markers, forging a direct connection to both geographical origin and dietary sources. While somewhat less direct in linkage, other markers such as plant biomarkers, fatty acid composition, pH levels, flavour and aromatic compounds along with organoleptic characteristics contribute to the overall understanding of provenance. Additionally, the identification of animal species and breeds serves as key markers, particularly in the context of protected geographical indications. The study findings are useful for the various stakeholders of how the information for meat provenance can be linked with intrinsic and extrinsic factors for meat quality and protecting the integrity of the supply chain with special reference to traceability and authenticity. © 2024 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Identification and quantification of flavor compounds in smoked tuna fish based on GC-Orbitrap volatolomics approach

Cold smoking enhances the appeal of fish products, offering consumers a smooth texture and a delicate smoky flavor. This study aims to explore variations in the volatile profile from different exposure times during cold smoking processing (light, moderate, and full-cure) in tune samples. An innovative untargeted analytical approach, headspace solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography and a hybrid quadrupole-orbitrap mass analyzer, was employed to identify 86 volatiles associated with the cold smoking process. Most of these compounds, including phenols, furan derivates, aldehydes, cyclic ketones, and different aromatic species, were found to contribute to the smoke odor. The development of a QuEChERS-based extraction and clean-up method facilitated the quantification of 25 relevant smoky markers across all smoking degrees, revealing significant concentration differences after 15 h of smoking. This research sheds light on the dynamics of cold smoking impact and its on the flavor profile and safety quality of processed fish products.

Volatilomics as a tool to ascertain food adulteration, authenticity, and origin

Over recent years, there has been an increase in the number of reported cases of food fraud incidents, whereas at the same time, consumers demand authentic products of high quality. The emerging volatilomics technology could be the key to the analysis and characterization of the quality of different foodstuffs. This field of omics has aroused the interest of scientists due to its noninvasive, rapid, and cost-profitable nature. This review aims to monitor the available scientific information on the use of volatilomics technology, correlate it to the relevant food categories, and demonstrate its importance in the food adulteration, authenticity, and origin areas. A comprehensive literature search was performed using various scientific search engines and "volatilomics," "volatiles," "food authenticity," "adulteration," "origin," "fingerprint," "chemometrics," and variations thereof as keywords, without chronological restriction. One hundred thirty-seven relevant publications were retrieved, covering 11 different food categories (meat and meat products, fruits and fruit products, honey, coffee, tea, herbal products, olive oil, dairy products, spices, cereals, and others), the majority of which focused on the food geographical origin. The findings show that volatilomics typically involves various methods responsible for the extraction and consequential identification of volatile compounds, whereas, with the aid of data analysis, it can handle large amounts of data, enabling the origin classification of samples or even the detection of adulteration practices. Nonetheless, a greater number of specific research studies are needed to unlock the full potential of volatilomics.

Volatile fingerprints of beef cooking methods using sol-gel-based solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and direct analysis in real-time mass spectrometry (DART-MS)

RATIONALE

The aroma profile of food is a complex mixture of volatile compounds that constitutes a major component of the overall eating experience. The food service industry and chefs therefore constantly seek ways to investigate and thereby enhance the aroma profile. Oven cooking, sous vide and pan fry are three cooking methods of beef commonly practised by chefs. Near real-time analysis of volatile compounds from these three cooking methods will provide insight into respective volatile fingerprints and help improve cooking techniques.

METHODS

Volatile compounds from three beef cooking methods were captured using an in-house sol-gel based solid phase microextraction (SPME) method and analysed using direct analysis in real-time mass spectrometry (DART-MS). A volatile organic compound (VOC) standard was used to demonstrate successful implementation of the sol-gel coating technique. Volatile features discriminating the three cooking methods were shortlisted and statistically assessed by univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

The VOC standard was successfully adsorbed by the sol-gel method and detected by DART-MS. Hierarchical cluster analysis clearly demarcated three beef cooking methods based on their volatile fingerprints. Out of 65 significant features differentiating the cooking methods, 50 were at highest concentrations from pan-fry cooking only, followed by 14 with highest concentrations from oven cooking followed by pan frying. Sous vide followed by pan frying showed lowest concentrations of almost all volatile features.

CONCLUSIONS

The sol-gel-based solid-phase microextraction technique combined with DART-MS was successful in differentiating beef cooking methods based on their volatile fingerprints. A workflow for rapid assessment of the volatile profile from beef cooking methods was established, providing a baseline to further explore volatile profiles from other key ingredients.

Comparison of Lipids and Volatile Compounds in Dezhou Donkey Meat with High and Low Intramuscular Fat Content

The intramuscular fat (IMF) content is considered an important factor for assessing meat quality, and is highly related to meat flavor. However, in donkey meat, the influences of IMF content on lipid and volatile profiles remain unclear. Thus, we conducted lipidomic and volatilomic investigations on high- and low-IMF samples from donkey longissimus dorsi muscle. When the IMF level increased, the monounsaturated fatty acid (especially oleic acid) content significantly increased but the saturated fatty acid content decreased (p < 0.05). Twenty-nine of 876 lipids showed significant differences between the two groups. Volatile profiles from differential IMF content samples were also distinct. Five differential volatile odorants were identified in the two groups: 2-acetyl-2-thiazoline, octanal, 2-pentylfuran, pentanal, and 1-(2-pyridinyl) ethanone. Additionally, strong correlations were found between differential fatty acids and lipids with differential odorants. Thus, the difference in volatile odorants may result from the change in the fatty acid composition and lipid profiles induced by different IMF contents, highlighting the urgent need to increase IMF levels in donkey meat.

Aroma Characterization of Roasted Meat and Meat Substitutes Using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry with Simultaneous Selective Detection and a Dedicated Software Tool, AromaMS

The development of healthier and more sustainable food products, such as plant-based meat substitutes (PBMSs), have received significant interest in recent years. A thorough understanding of the aroma composition can support efforts to improve the sensory properties of PBMS products and promote their consumer acceptability. Here, we developed an integrated hardware and software approach for aroma analysis of roasted food based on simultaneous analysis with three complementary detectors. Following the standard procedure of aroma headspace sampling and separation using solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography, the column flow was split into three channels for the following detectors for the selective detection of nitrogen and sulfur (N/S)-containing compounds: an electron ionization-mass spectrometry for identification through a library search, a nitrogen-phosphorous detector, and a flame-photometric detector (FPD)/pulsed-FPD. Integration of results from the different types of detectors was achieved using a software tool, called AromaMS, developed in-house for data processing. As stipulated by the user, AromaMS performed either non-targeted screening for all volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or selective screening for N/S-containing VOCs that play a major role in the aroma experience. User-defined parameters for library matching and the retention index were applied to further eliminate false identifications. This new approach was successfully applied for comparative analysis of roasted meat and PBMS samples.

Changes in the Sensory Odor Profile during Chorizo Maturation and Their Relationship with Volatile Compound Patterns by Partial Least Square Regression (PLS)

Odor is one of the most important attributes to determine the overall acceptance of a product. The aim of this investigation is to evaluate the changes in the odor profile and the volatile compounds during thirty-three days of ripening to obtain the pattern of volatile compounds necessary to integrate the odor profile of chorizo (fermented sausage), using Partial Least Squares (PLS). The chili and pork meat odors were predominant during the first five days, vinegar and fermented odors at days twelve and nineteen days, and finally a rancid odor predominated at the end. Only the vinegar, rancid, and fermented odors could be predicted with a good fit model, with the R² coefficient above 0.5, using linear PLS, and the pork meat odor using logarithmic PLS. Each group of volatile compounds interacted in different ways; esters had a positive influence on the vinegar and rancid odors, but a negative on the fermented odor. Some volatile compounds contributed to more than one odor, such as hexanal, ethanol, and ethyl octanoate. This work allowed us to understand the pattern of volatile compounds required to generate some of the specific odors of chorizo; further studies are required to explore the effect of other food components on these patterns of odors.