Abstract
The Aromascan A32S conducting polymer electronic nose was evaluated for the capability of detecting the presence of off-flavor malodorous compounds in catfish meat fillets to assess meat quality for potential merchantability. Sensor array outputs indicated that the aroma profiles of good-flavor (on-flavor) and off-flavor fillets were strongly different as confirmed by a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and a Quality Factor value (QF > 7.9) indicating a significant difference at (P < 0.05). The A32S e-nose effectively discriminated between good-flavor and off-flavor catfish at high levels of accuracy (>90%) and with relatively low rates (≤5%) of unknown or indecisive determinations in three trials. This A32S e-nose instrument also was capable of detecting the incidence of mild off-flavor in fillets at levels lower than the threshold of human olfactory detection. Potential applications of e-nose technologies for pre- and post-harvest management of production and meat-quality downgrade problems associated with catfish off-flavor are discussed.
Highlights
The occurrence of off-flavor and off-odor in catfish meat is the most economically important problem affecting commercial catfish production in the southern United States [1]
The fish samples used in this study were all of one species, Ictalurus punctatus Rafinesque, the most numerous and abundant catfish species marketed in the southern United States
The Aromascan A32S e-nose provided strong sensor responses to headspace volatiles from fresh catfish meat samples. These results suggest that the time allowed for building headspace volatiles prior to analytical runs might be significantly reduced from 30 min without an appreciable loss of signal strength
Summary
The occurrence of off-flavor and off-odor in catfish meat is the most economically important problem affecting commercial catfish production in the southern United States [1]. Most pre-harvest and post-harvest off-flavor problems are caused by the presence of malodorous compounds, produced by naturally-occurring aquatic microorganisms (primarily blue-green and actinomycete-type bacteria) during the months of July to September, which are released into the water and absorbed through the gills, skin or gastrointestinal tract of catfish [2]. These common off-flavor compounds impart a bad flavor and odor to catfish meat, often described as earthy, muddy, or musty to the taste, resulting in reduced flavor quality and a significant reduction in the commercial value (grade) of catfish meat. The incidence of off-flavor in channel catfish, produced during peak harvest months, can account for up to 70% of all harvestable fillets rejected by processors in this region [4]
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