Abstract
The aroma-active compounds in Jinhua ham processed and stored for 9, 12, 15 and 18 months were extracted by dynamic headspace sampling (DHS) and solvent-assisted flavor evaporation (SAFE) and analyzed by gas chromatography-olfactometry-mass spectrometry (GC-O-MS). In GC-O-MS, volatile compounds were identified based on their mass spectrum, linear retention index (LRI), odor properties, or reference compound comparisons. The results showed that a total number of 81 aroma-active compounds were identified by GC-O-MS. Among them, acids (such as acetic acid, butanoic acid and 3-methylbutanoic acid), saturated aldehydes (such as hexanal, heptanal, octanal and 3-methylbutanal), benzene derivatives (such as benzeneacetic acid), ester and lactone (such as γ-nonalactone and γ-decalactone) were identified as critical compounds in Jinhua ham aroma. The results also indicated that the type and content of the odorants increased significantly with the duration of the fermentation period.
Highlights
Dry-cured ham is generally classified based on the origin
A total of 81 aroma-active compounds of Jinhua ham in different processing time were identified by dynamic headspace sampling (DHS)-gas chromatography-olfactometry-mass spectrometry (GC-O-MS) and solvent-assisted flavor evaporation (SAFE)-GC-O-MS
With the combination of different fermentation times and two odorant extraction methods, aroma-active compounds were identified by GC-O-MS of Jinhua ham
Summary
Dry-cured ham is generally classified based on the origin. In particular, the three main forms from southern China, southern or central Europe and the southeastern United States, have many differences in their sensory properties [1]. Parma ham, Iberian ham and the American ham are their best known representatives [2,3,4,5]. In China, Jinhua ham, along with “Xuanwei ham” and “Rugao ham”, are well known as the “three hams”. The traditional processing technology for making Jinhua ham is composed of multiple steps, including raw material selection, salting, soaking and washing, sun drying and shaping, fermentation, ripening, post-ripening, grading and storage [6]. The control of ham flavor formation during processing is very important for ham grading, so comprehensive research of Jinhua ham flavor is crucial for better ham quality and the establishment of a national traditional meat products standard
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