Flash Profile as an effective method for assessment of odor profile in three different fishes

Fish has a high nutritional value and its regular consumption is associated with lower probabilities of cardiovascular diseases. Brazilians are characterized as low fish consumers, and the fish odor significantly affects the consumer acceptance or rejection. Grass carp, catfish and pacu are three fishes with high potential of farming in the Southwestern region of Paraná, Brazil, and worldwide. The characterization of their odor profile using the Flash Profile technique is the focus of this study. With assessors selected for odor analysis, the assessment of samples of the three species of fish was carried out in two stages (1) generation of attributes using the Grid method and (2) evaluation of the fish samples, according to attributes individually selected, with 9 cm unstructured and anchored scales. The data was processed by using generalized procrustes analysis. A total of 19 selected assessors were able to recognize and describe the stimuli perceived by the different substances. The terminology surveyed revealed the term "fishy" as the most cited, followed by "pond water", "fat" and "rancid". Flash Profile provided a precise odor characterization and discrimination with quantitative differences among the fishes. Pacu was the species related to the terms earth, fat, plant, fridge and wood. Earth, viscera, putrid, fat, burnt oil, blood, fishy odor and acid characterized the catfish, related to the most negative descriptors. Grass carp was associated to the terms pond water, fishy odor, rancidity, fat and grass.