RESPONSE OF BEEF FLAVOR TO OXYGEN DEPLETION AND AN ANTIOXIDANT CHELATOR MIXTURE

Meat flavor deterioration (MFD) is characterized by increased levels of off-flavor sensory characteristics and by a decline in desirable-flavor attributes. MFD, long associated with the process of warmed-over flavor development in meat products, is attributed to the free-radical reactions that occur as a result of lipid peroxidation. Data is presented showing the effect of these mechanisms on meat flavor and chemistry. Data demonstrate that several mechanisms act synergistically to remove desirable flavors and heighten off-flavor development. Factor analysis is utilized as a means to graphically render correlations existing among the experimental treatments (dose response), sensory descriptors, and chemical flavor attributes.