ZOU Qixin, CHEN Yao, ZHANG Yaxuan, HE Yan, XU Feiran, HUANG Aixiang, XU Baocai, WANG Xuefeng
To investigate the effect of drying temperature on the flavor of Cantonese sausages, electronic nose, electronic tongue, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were employed to analyze the flavor profiles of Cantonese sausages dried at high temperature (HG) and low temperature (LG).Radar chart construction, principal component analysis, and partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) were used to evaluate the flavor differences between the 2 groups.The results showed that LG exhibited stronger responses to volatile components such as sulfur-containing and nitrogen-oxygen compounds, while HG presented significantly higher bitterness, astringency, and their aftertaste values.No significant differences were observed in sourness, umami, or richness between the two groups.Additionally, LG had significantly higher contents of umami and sweet amino acids, along with lower levels of bitter and tasteless amino acids, compared to HG.Regarding fatty acid composition, LG contained a significantly higher proportion of saturated fatty acids, whereas HG had a higher content of polyunsaturated fatty acids.A total of 29 and 33 volatile compounds were identified in HG and LG by GC-MS, respectively.PLS-DA screening revealed 1 amino acid (glutamic acid), 5 fatty acids (oleic acid, stearic acid, linoleic acid, palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid), and 11 volatile compounds (phellandrene, (-)-isocaryophyllene, myrcene, methyl butyrate, β-terpinene, ethyl butyrate, 3-carene, isoamyl alcohol, ethyl caprylate, ethyl acetate, and methyl isopentyl ether) as the characteristic flavor substances distinguishing the 2 types of sausages.In conclusion, drying temperature regulated the amino acid composition, fatty acid distribution, and volatile compound profile to achieve precise modulation of the flavor of Cantonese sausages.This study provides important theoretical support for the optimization of process parameters based on target flavors in industrial production.