Meat Flavor

Jerrad LegakoGraduate Student, Meat Science

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IMPORTANCE OF FLAVOR

Consumer perception of meat quality• After appearance and tenderness flavor is most

important• Specifically cooked meat flavor

Flavor is a key factor for acceptance• Understanding flavor is therefore crucial

– Analysis of flavor compounds

(Machiels and Istasse)

Tenderness

Juiciness

Flavor Flavor often considered the most important when tenderness

is acceptable Result of volatile compounds produced during cooking

MEAT PALATABILITY

TASTE vs. FLAVOR

• Taste refers to the five basic receptors: sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami

• Flavor is the perception of chemical compounds reacting with receptors in the oral and nasal cavities (aroma) in combination with taste

Olfactory receptors

Taste receptors

Posterior nares

Anterior nares

Tongue

Perception of Flavor (Taste and Aroma)

AromaDetected in noseSmall, volatile, fat soluble molecules

TasteDetected on tongue and in mouthLarge, water soluble molecules

(L. J. Farmer)

TASTE

• Salt and sour receptors are well understood while bitter and sweet receptors appear to be more complex.

UMAMI

• Umami [oo-MOM-ee], known as the fifth taste, is described as meaty and savory or delicious

• derived from umai, the Japanese word for delicious • Glutamates – the salts of an amino acid - and other small

molecules called nucleotides

• Although umami has been known for quite awhile, recently umami receptors have been clearly identified so this is a bona fide fifth taste.

5 TASTES

• Detection of these five tastes has been key to our survival throughout the ages

• Sweet means energy-giving carbohydrates• Salt indicates essential minerals for life-sustaining cell

functions and wound healing• Sour says to “proceed with caution,” since many foods sour

as they deteriorate.• Umami signifies life-giving protein. • And bitter warns “spit it out, don’t touch it” because many

natural toxins taste bitter

FLAVOR CHEMISTRY

What is flavor chemistry? A study of compounds which elicit a

chemosensation or flavor sensation

What produces flavor sensations? Chemical compounds reacting with

receptors in the oral and nasal cavities Specifically ingested volatile

compounds

(Christen and Smith)

FLAVOR CHEMISTRY

Over 200 flavor compounds associated with cooked beef Sulferous and carbonyl compounds are predominate

contributors Maillard reaction products

• End products result from sugars and amino groups

Lipid breakdown products• Higher concentrations may produce undesirable flavors

(Calkins and Hodgen)

MAIN FLAVOR FORMING REACTIONS

HEAT

Maillard reaction

Thermal degradation

Thermal oxidation

Reducing sugars, nucleotides,amino acids, peptides

Thiamine

Lipids,fatty acids

(L.J. Farmer)

Precursors Aroma compounds, e.g.

N

S NHCH3

O

O

SH

O

SS

O

OCHO

O O

CH3 SCHO

O

SH

O

SS

O

CHO

MAILLARD REACTION

• Reducing sugar and free amino acid• Results in the production of H2O, • Therefore reaction does not occur with moist heat cookery

reducing sugar + amine = brown pigments + flavors

Flavor Compounds Formation by Maillard Reaction

Reducing Sugars and -amino acids

N-glycosylamine or N-fructosylamine

1-Amino-1-deoxy-2-ketose (Amadori intermediate) or 2-Amino-2-deoxy-1-aldose (Heynes intermediate)

Reductones and Dehydroreductones

Furans ThiophenesPyrroles

Retroaldol ReactionH2S

NH3

Strecker degradation

Amino Acids

Hydroxyacetone HydroxyacetylaldehydeAcetoinAcetylaldehyde

Glyoxal Pyruvaldehyde Glycerolaldehyde

Strecker Aldehydes +

CO2 + -aminoketone (Methional, NH3, H2S)

HeterocyclizaionPyrazinesPyridinesOxazoles

ThiazolesPyrroles

++

FLAVOR COMPOUND ANALYSIS

Volatile compounds must be extracted• Head space solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME)

Separation of compounds may be done via gas chromatography (GC)

Compounds may then be identified and sensory evaluated• Identified: purified standards and/or mass spectral library• Sensory evaluation: olfactometry

(Frank and others)

HS-SPME/GC-MS-Olfactory

DISCUSSION

Flavor is important to overall palatability of meat Flavor compounds may be studied by chemical and sensory

evaluation Maillard reaction and lipid breakdown products are dependent

on the type and condition of meat

Species Red meat species and poultry

Breed Bos indicus vs Bos taurus?

Sex Androstenone, skatole

Diet Grain-fed vs. Grass-fed

Age Young lamb vs. mutton

Packaging MAP, over-wrap, vacuum

FACTORS AFFECTING MEAT FLAVOR

Fat Amount and type

Muscle Location effect

Aging Dry vs. wet

Enhancement Brine solution containing salt

Cooking method Dry vs. moist heat Degree of doneness

FACTORS AFFECTING MEAT FLAVOR

Top 20 Beef Flavor Pairings in Newsstand Beef Recipes•  Onion 60%

•  Garlic 55%

•  Tomato* 32%

•  Beef Broth/Stock/Bouillon* 25%

•  Wine (mainly red)* 20%

•  Cheese (mainly Parmesan, Cheddar, Blue)* 19%

•  Sugar 18% •  Cream 18%

•  Bell Pepper 16% •  Vinegar 16%

•  Thyme 15%

•  Parsley 14%

•  Cayenne 13% •  Mushroom* 13%

•  Soy Sauce* 11% •  Cumin 11%

•  Mustard 10% •  Ginger 10% •  Bay Leaves 10% •  Oregano 10%

*indicates umami-rich ingredients

Beef and the Restaurant Scene

Today’s Menu Special: Beef Flavored with…

Onion

Cheese*

Mushroom*

Wine*

Garlic

Pepper/Peppercorns

Truffles*

Peppers/Green Peppers

Shallots

Bacon*

Barbecue Sauce*

Horseradish

Béarnaise

Mustard

*indicates umami-rich ingredients

http://www.beefandvealculinary.com/beefflavorpairings.aspx