Characteristic Flavor Analysis And Technological Improvement Of Traditional Dried Meat In Inner Mongolia

Dried meat is a traditional specialty meat product with a long history in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.The tempting flavor is a major feature of Inner Mongolia’s traditional air dried meat.Currently,there is little research on the characteristic flavor of Inner Mongolia’s traditional air dried meat,and there are problems with unstable quality and long curing time,which limit the development of the industry.This study collected a total of 18 traditional air dried meat samples from the central and eastern regions of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,and explored their quality and characteristic flavors.The best flavor was comprehensively evaluated in Balin Left Banner(C2)of Chifeng City,and vacuum rolling and pickling were introduced to improve the process of air dried meat.The following conclusions were drawn:The water content of 18 dried meat samples ranged from 10.640%to 38.863%,and the water activity range was 0.424-0.618.The p H values were all low,ranging from5.517-6.277.The L* values of X4 samples in Xilingol region were significantly higher than those of other samples(P<0.05),while the a* values of Etuoke Banner(E3)and Ongniud Banner(C5)in Chifeng city were significantly higher than those of other samples(P<0.05),The residual nitrite content in Wengniute Banner(C4)of Chifeng City is higher than the national standard of 30 mg/kg.By comparing various traditional air dried meat samples through principal component analysis(PCA),it was found that the main characteristic physicochemical indicators affecting Inner Mongolia’s traditional air dried meat are Aw,moisture content and chromatism.The characteristic flavor compounds of 18 traditional dried meat samples from Inner Mongolia were studied using electronic nose,gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS),and ROAV value methods.The characteristic flavor substances of different dried meat samples are all alcohols,aldehydes,hydrocarbons,and oxygen-containing compounds,but the content of substances with a relative odor activity value(ROAV)greater than 1 varies.There are five unique flavor compounds in the Ordos region:3-decanol,4-methyl-5-decanol,2,4-dimethyl-2-pentanol,methylheptanone and 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine;There are four unique flavor compounds in the Xilingol region:1,3-butanediol,isovaleraldehyde,ethyl phenylacetate,and thymol;There are two unique flavor compounds in the Chifeng area: 2-heptanol and 6-methyl-2-heptanone.Among them,there are more types of flavor compounds with ROAV values>1 in Balin Left Banner(C2)of Chifeng City and Etuoke Front Banner(E2)of Ordos City compared to other samples.Based on comprehensive sensory evaluation,the flavor of sample C2 is better.The vacuum rolling pickling process has improved the moisture content and color of air dried meat compared to traditional static pickling methods(P<0.05);The number of ROAV>1 in the vacuum rolling group was 17,which was higher than the 15 in the traditional static pickling group and had three unique flavor compounds:(-)2,3-butanediol,(E)-2-none-1-ol,and(Z)-4-heptanenal;The introduction of vacuum rolling and pickling technology can optimize the production and processing of dried meat,improve product flavor,and facilitate industrial production and standardization.