Abstract/Summary

The delicious aroma of freshly cooked meat is highly attractive, stimulating the gastric juices, and giving us early indications that the meat and its eating experience are likely to be enjoyable. Consequently, there is much interest from the food industry in understanding how to control and optimize meat aroma. The aroma profiles of cooked and cured meats are extremely complex, comprising several thousand volatile compounds, of which only a few impart characteristic meaty notes. This chapter covers the characterization of meat aroma, identifying those compounds that impart meaty aromas and those that give species character, as well as those which generate off-notes. The formation pathways of these compounds are reviewed, and the role of pre- and post-slaughter conditions in altering the aroma profile of the meat is discussed. Production of optimum meat flavor involves careful selection of diet and breed, good control over pre- and post-slaughter conditions, and choice of appropriate processing conditions to maximize the formation of taste and aroma compounds.