Effect of enhancement and ageing on flavor and volatile compounds in various beef muscles

To identify and quantify selected flavor-active volatile compounds and relate them to sensory characteristics, the gluteus medius (round), rectus femoris (round), vastus lateralis (round), vatsus medialis (round), teres major (chuck), infraspinatus (chuck), complexus (chuck), serratus ventralis (chuck), psoas major (loin) and longissimus dorsi (loin) were removed from heifer carcasses, enhanced, vacuum packaged, aged for 7 or 14 days, steaks were cut, vacuum packaged and frozen (48 h). Flavor-active volatiles affected by enhancement and ageing in the various muscles included nonanal, 2,3-octanedione, pentanal, 3-hydroxy-2-butanone, 2-pentyl furan, 1-octen-3-ol, butanoic acid, pentanal and hexanoic acid, compounds often associated with lipid oxidation. Enhancement decreased hexanal and hexanoic acid. Ageing decreased butanoic acid. Pentanal content varied among muscles depending on enhancement and ageing. Livery off-flavor was positively correlated with pentanal, hexanal, 3-hydroxy-2-butanone and hexanoic acid. Rancid off-flavor was correlated with pentanal and with 2-pentyl furan but not with hexanal.