Differentiation of chill‐stored and frozen pork necks using electronic nose with ultra‐fast gas chromatography

Abstract

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to determine the possibility of differentiating chill‐stored and frozen pork necks with a technique of electronic nose (E‐nose) based on ultra‐fast gas chromatography (UFGC). Tests were carried out on pork necks from six pigs obtained from a breeding farm with Pork Quality System (PQS) implemented. The volatile organic compounds (VOC) of the meat samples with 1, 4, and 7 days of chill storage and samples with 5 months of frozen storage were investigated. Principal components analysis (PCA) showed differences in the volatile organic compounds profiles. Discriminant factor analysis (DFA) model was developed to identify the freshness of the meat samples. Results showed that using E‐nose Heracles II allowed effective recognition of chilled and frozen pork meats. Significant differences were found between VOC profiles. In practice, this technique could be applied to the meat industry for a rapid, cheap, and reliable assessment of meat freshness.Practical applicationsInvestigation of methods for differentiation of chill‐stored and frozen pork necks is of significance for quality and safety maintenance. The current study developed a technique of electronic nose (E‐nose) based on ultra‐fast gas chromatography (UFGC) for recognizing the freshness difference of these meat products. Results showed that the technique allowed for effective recognition of chilled and frozen pork meats. In practice, this technique could be applied to the meat industry for a rapid, cheap, and reliable assessment of meat freshness.