During cooking, chemical reactions within the muscle produce volatile and non-volatile compounds characteristic of meat aroma and taste. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are essential in these reactions (Mottram and Edwards, 1983). In ruminants, differences in intramuscular PUFA composition have been classically associated with high n-3 content in grass fed animals and high n-6 content in concentrate fed animals. We investigated the effect on odour perception of in vitro reactions between linoleic and α-linolenic acids in the presence of cysteine and ribose, when they were present in ratios similar to those found in meat from animals reared on forage- or concentrate-based diets.
The polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) of the intramuscular phospholipids are the most significant lipids in the development of cooked beef flavour (Mottram and Edwards, 1983). In lamb, differences in n-6 and n-3 fatty acid composition have been shown to be a major factor influencing consumer perception and acceptability (Sañudo et al, 2000). Altering meat PUFA, especially n-3 fatty acids, to improve its value in human nutrition (COMA, 1994) may have effects on flavour and acceptability. The aim of this work was to evaluate differences in flavour perception when intramuscular fatty acid composition is changed in beef meat.
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