Quality Evaluation of Beef Seasonings Using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and Electronic Nose: Correlation with Sensory Attributes and Classification According to Grade Level

Abstract

To evaluate the quality of beef seasonings, the aroma profiles of high-grade, medium-grade, and lower-grade beef seasonings were characterized by sensory evaluation, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and an electronic nose. Sensory evaluation indicated significant differences in the three grades of beef seasonings whose high-grade samples got the highest score of the aroma properties of beef, fat, vegetable, soy sauce, and overall flavor and the lowest score of the aroma of gamey. A total of 57 volatile compounds that included aldehydes, acids, alkenes, nitrogen- and sulfur-containing compounds, phenols, alcohols, and ketones were identified by solid-phase micro-extraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME/GC-MS). The volatile compounds showed good correlation with seven sensory attributes according to the partial least square regression (PLSR) models. Electronic nose data were processed by principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA). According to the obtained results, electronic nose and SPME/GC-MS combined with multivariate statistical analysis were effective identification tools for the quality discrimination of beef seasonings.