Determination and comparison of volatile compounds of different poultry species eggs

All fresh poultry eggs differ greatly in chemical components. Many chemicals have been investigated in this field, but the presence of differences in odor components between species has not yet been investigated. For this reason, this study aimed to determine the volatile compounds of the eight different poultry species eggs and the differences among them. In this context, 180 eggs (20 from each species) were purchased from different farms, and the volatile compounds of raw eggs were determined by the solid phase micro-extraction method. Following the analysis, 41 volatile compounds and 12 organic groups were identified. The variety and ratios of these compounds varied among the species, with pigeon eggs containing the greatest number of compounds (19 compounds) and quail, partridge, and pheasant eggs containing the lowest numbers (seven compounds). Acetamide, 2-fluoro-, and D-limonene compounds were found in every species of eggs. The other species eggs did not contain any of the 10 volatile chemicals detected in pigeon eggs, eight in chicken eggs, and one in quail eggs. It was discovered that the eggs volatile compounds counts and chemical profiles varied, indicating differences in their tastes, smells, and aromas. The volatile chemicals found in this study may be species-specific and can be used as indicators to identify which eggs belong to which species.