Relationship between sensory attributes and volatile compounds qualifying dry-cured hams.

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Sensory Science

Background:

• Dry-cured hams possess complex sensory profiles influenced by numerous volatile compounds.
• Understanding the specific volatile compounds responsible for desirable and undesirable sensory attributes is crucial for quality control and product development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between volatile compounds and sensory attributes in dry-cured hams.
• To identify key volatile compounds contributing to specific sensory perceptions, such as acorn flavour and rancidity.
• To develop predictive models for sensory attributes based on volatile compound profiles.

Main Methods:

• Quantification of 45 volatile compounds using Solid-Phase Microextraction-Gas Chromatography (SPME-GC).
• Sensory assessment of dry-cured hams by a panel of 13 trained assessors.
• Gas Chromatography-Sniffing (GC-sniffing) to identify odour-active regions.
• Dilution analysis to determine odour thresholds and sensory characterization of volatile compounds.
• Regression analysis to correlate volatile compounds with sensory attributes.

Main Results:

• Six sensory attributes, including acorn odour/flavour and various rancid notes, were explained by regression equations (adjusted R² ≥ 0.70) using ten specific volatile compounds.
• The identified compounds included benzaldehyde, 2-heptanone, hexanal, hexanol, limonene, 3-methylbutanal, 3-methylbutanol, 2-nonanone, octanol, and pentanol.
• The 'acorn flavour' attribute was successfully recreated by mixing the selected volatile compounds, and its odour profile matched the target description.

Conclusions:

• A strong correlation exists between specific volatile compounds and key sensory attributes in dry-cured ham.
• The study successfully identified key odorants responsible for desirable (acorn) and undesirable (rancid) characteristics.
• The findings provide a foundation for predicting and controlling the sensory quality of dry-cured hams through targeted chemical analysis.