Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Influence of specific taste-active components on meat flavor as affected by intrinsic and extrinsic factors: an overview

  • Review Paper
  • Published:
European Food Research and Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Beef flavor is considered as the most important factor of eating quality and overall acceptability of consumers. Previous studies on beef flavor have demonstrated the role of numerous volatile compounds in meat aroma. However, the contribution of water-soluble compounds such as peptides, amino acids, reducing sugars, nucleotides, acids, and vitamins to the cooked beef taste is not fully known. The present review has mainly focused on the factors associated with flavor of beef and contribution of aforementioned constituents to the flavor. A number of studies have documented that intrinsic and extrinsic factors such as diet/feeding regimes, breed and sex of animal, aging condition, and pH of meat significantly influence the meat flavor. These aforementioned factors differently affect the concentration and level of taste-active compounds and taste contents. Also, it has been established that the amount and proportion of these compounds were affected by the genetic differences among individual meat cuts and the outcome of glycolysis, proteolysis, and lipolysis processes. Conclusively, this review provides insight into the previous significant literature reports on flavor and identifies important factors that are associated with flavor precursors of proteolysis and glycolysis with the viewpoint of palatability of beef meat.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Meinert L, Andersen T, Bredie WLP, Bjergaard C, Aaslyng MD (2007) Chemical and sensory characterization of pan-fried pork flavor: interactions between raw meat quality, aging and frying temperature. Meat Sci 75:229–242

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Farmer LJ (1999) The role of nutrients in meat flavor formation. Proc Nutr Soc 53:327–333

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Farmer LJ, Mottram DS (1994) Lipid–Maillard interactions in the formation of volatile aroma compounds. In: Maarse H, van der Heij DG (eds) Trends in flavor research. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 313–326

    Google Scholar 

  4. Mottram DS (1998) Flavor formation in meat and meat products. Food Chem 62:415–424

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Shahidi F (1994) Flavor of muscle foods; an overview. Blackie, London

  6. Mateo J, Domeguez M, Aguirrezabal MM, Zumalacarregui JM (1996) Taste compound in Chorizo and their changes during ripening. Meat Sci 44:245–254

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Koutsidis G, Elmore JS, Oruna-Concha MJ, Campo MM, Wood JD, Mottram DS (2007) Water soluble of beef flavor. Part II: effect of post-mortem conditioning. Meat Sci 79:270–277

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Clayes E, Smet SD, Balcaen A, Raes K, Demeyer D (2004) Quantification of fresh meat peptides by SDS–PAGE in relation to aging time and taste intensity. Meat Sci 67:281–288

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Elmore JS, Mottram DS, Enser M, Wood JD (1999) Effect of the polyunsaturated fatty acid composition of beef muscle on the profile of aroma volatiles. Agric Food Chem 47:1619–1625

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Koutsidis G, Elmore JS, Oruna-Concha MJ, Campo MM, Wood JD, Mottram DS (2007) Water soluble precursors of beef flavor: 1. Effect of diet and breed. Meat Sci 79:124–130

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Maruri JL, Larick DK (1992) Volatile concentration and flavor of beef as influenced by diet. Food Sci 576:1275–1281

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Melton SL, Black JM, Davis GW, Backus WR (1982) Flavor and selected chemical components of ground beef from steer’s background on pasture and fed corn up to 140 days. Food Sci 47:699–704

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Gorriaz C, Beriain MJ, Chasco J, Insausti K (2002) Effect of aging time on volatile compounds, odor, and flavor of cooked beef from pirenaica and Friesian bulls and heifers. J Food Sci 67:916–922

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Nishimura T, Rhue MR, Okitani A, Kato H (1988) Components contributing to the improvement of meat taste during storage. Agric Biol Chem 52:2323–2330

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Jeremiah LE, Gibson LL (2003) The effects of postmortem product handling and aging time on beef palatability. Food Res Int 36:929–941

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Mottram DS (1985) The effects of cooking conditions on the formation of volatile heterocyclic compounds in pork. J Sci Food Agric 36:377–382

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Erdmann K, Cheung BWY, Schroder H (2008) The possible roles of food-derived bioactive peptides in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. J Nutr Biochem 19:643–654

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Buachart TC, Remond D, Chambon C, Patureau MP, Savary-Auzelouz I, Reyne C, Morzel M (2006) Small peptides (< 5 kDa) found in ready-to-eat beef meat. Meat Sci 74:658–666

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Purchas RW, Rutherfurda SM, Pearcea PD, Vathera R, Wilkinson BHP (2004) Concentrations in beef and lamb of taurine, carnosine, coenzyme Q10, and creatine. Meat Sci 66:629–637

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Moya VJ, Flores M, Aristoy MC, Toldra F (2001) Pork meat quality affects peptides and amino acid profiles during the aging process. Meat Sci 58:197–206

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Sylvestre MN, Feidth C, Brun-Bellut J (2001) Post mortem evolution of non protein nitrogen and its peptide composition in growing lamb muscles. Meat Sci 58:363–369

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Ogasawara M, Katsumata T, Egi M (2006) Taste properties of Maillard reaction products prepared from 1000 to 5000 Da peptide. Food Chem 99:600–604

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Ishii K, Tsuchida M, Hishimura T, Okitani A, Nakagawa A, Natae K, Shimada A (1995) Changes in the taste and taste components of beef during heating at a low temperature for a long time. J Home Econ Jpn 46:229–234

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Okumura T, Yamada R, Nishimura T (2004) Sourness suppressing peptides in cooked pork loins. Biosci Boitech Biochem 68:1657–1662

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Henriksen AP, Stahnke LH (1997) Sensory and chromatographic evaluations of water soluble fractions from dried sausages. J Agric Food Chem 45:7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Yamasaki Y, Maekawa K (1978) A peptide with delicious taste. Agric Biol Chem 42:1761–1765

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Spanier AM, Flores M, Mc Millin KM, Bidner TD (1997) The effect of post mortem aging on meat flavor quality in Brangus beef. Correlation of treatment, sensory, instrument and chemical descriptors. Food Chem 59:531–538

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Nollet LML, Toldra F (2006) Advanced technologies for meat processing

  29. Maehashi K, Arai S (1999) Taste evolution for peptides in protein hydrolysates from soybean and other plants. In: Jackson JF, Linskens HF (eds) Analysis of taste and aroma

  30. Noguchi M, Arai S, Yamashita M, Kato H, Fujimaki M (1975) Isolation and identification of acidic oligopeptides occurring in a flavor potentiating fraction from a fish protein hydrolysate. J Agric Food Chem 23:49–53

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Pereira-Lima Ordones JA, Carcia De Fernando GD, Cambero MI (2000) Influence of heat treatment on carnosine, anserine and free amino acid composition of beef broth and its role in flavor development. European Food Research and Technology. ISSN:1438-2377,210:165-172

  32. Macleod G (1986) The scientific and technological basis of meat flavors. In: Birch GG, Lindley MG (eds) Developments in food flavors. Elsevier, London, pp 191–223

    Google Scholar 

  33. Liu Y, Xu X, Zhou G (2007) Changes in taste compounds of duck during processing. Food Chem 102:22–26

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Chen Y, Ho T (2002) Effects of carnosine on volatile generation from Maillard reaction of ribose and cysteine. J Agric Food Chem 50:2372–2376

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Gianelli M, Flores M, Toldra F (2003) Interactions of soluble peptides and proteins from skeletal muscle on the release of volatile compounds. J Agric Food Chem 51:6828–6834

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Ishibashi N, Sadamori K, Yamamota KH, Kouge K, Kikuchi E, Okai H, Fukuli S (1987) Bitterness of phenylalanine- and tyrosine-containing peptides. Agric Biol Chem 51:3309–3313

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Kuroda M, Harada T (2004) Fractionation and characterization of the macromolecular meaty flavor enhancer from beef meat extract. J Food Sci 69:542–548

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Mottram DS (1994) Some aspects of the chemistry of meat flavor. In: Shahidi F (ed) the flavor of meat and meat products. Chapman and Hall, London, pp 210–230

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  39. Ba HV, Hwang IH, Dawoon J, Amna T (2012) Principle of meat aroma flavors and future prospect. Chapter 7, in Latest research into quality control. In tech

  40. Kato H, Nishimura T (1987) Taste component and conditioning of beef, pork, and chicken. In: Kawamura Y, Kare MR (eds) “umami”: One of the basic tastes. Marcel Dekker, New York

    Google Scholar 

  41. Koga K, Fukunaga T, Kawagoe S (1987) Free amino acids, carnosine and 5-inosinic acid contents in the beef loin and beef round. Mem Fac Agric Kagoshima Univ 23:121–129

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Cerny C, Grosch W (1992) Evaluation of potent odorants in roasted beef by aroma extracts dilution analysis. Zeitschrift für Lebensittelunter-suchung and Forschung A 194:322–325

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Kayim M, Cimen M, Can E, Kosabas M (2011) Biochemical taste parameters in meat and sea products. Asian J Anim Vet Advances 6:233–237

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Chen D, Zhang M (2007) Non volatile taste active compounds in the meat of Chinese mitten crab. Food Chem 104:1200–1205

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Kuninaka A (1981) Taste and flavor enhancers. In: Teranishi R et al (eds) Flavor research—recent advances. Marcel Dekker, New York, pp 305–353

    Google Scholar 

  46. Tikk M, Tikk K, Torngren MA, Meinert L, Aaslyng M, Karlson H, Andersen HJ (2006) Development of inosine monophosphate and its degradation products during aging of pork of different qualities in relation to basic taste and retro nasal flavor perception of the meat. J Agric Food Chem 54:7769–7777

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Yamaguchi S, Yoshikawa T, Ikeda S, Ninomiya T (1971) Measurement of the relative taste intensity of some α-amino acid and 5′-nucleotides. J Food Sci 36:846–849

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Aristoy MC, Toldra F (2009) Nucleotides and Its derived compounds. In: Nollet LML, Toldra F, Aristoy MC (eds) Handbook of muscle foods analysis

  49. Ishiwatari N, Fukuoka M, Sato HN, Sakai N (2013) Decomposition kinetics of umami component during meat cooking. J Food Eng 119:324–331

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Flores M, Armero E, Aristoy M, Toldra F (1999) Sensory characteristic of cooked pork loin affected by nucleotide content and post mortem meat quality. Meat Sci 51:53–59

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Aliani M, Farmer LJ, Kennedy JT, Moss BW, Gordon A (2013) Post-slaughter changes in ATP metabolites, reducing and phosphorylated sugars in chicken meat. Meat Sci 94:55–62

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. Farmer LJ, Mottram DS (1992) Effect of cysteine and ribose on the volatile thermal degradation products of a triglyceride and three phospholipids. J Sci Food Agric 60:489–497

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. Meinert L, Schafer A, Bjergaard C, Aaslyng MD, Bredie WLP (2009) Comparison of glucose, glucose 6-phosphate, ribose, and mannose as flavor precursors in pork; the effect of monosaccharide addition on flavor generation. Meat Sci 81:419–425

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  54. Ames JM, Guy RCE, Kipping GJ (2001) Effect of pH and temperature on the formation of volatile compounds in cysteine/reducing sugar/starch mixtures during extrusion cooking. J Agric Food Chem 49:1885–1894

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  55. Elmore JS, Warren HE, Mottram DS, Scollan ND, Enser M, Richardson RI, Wood JD (2004) A comparison of the aroma volatiles and fatty acid compositions of grilled beef muscle from Aberdeen Angus and Holstein-Friesian steers fed diets based on silage or concentrates. Meat Sci 68:27–33

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  56. Feiner G (2006) Meat products handbook: practical science and technology. Woodhead, CRC Press

  57. Macleod G (1994) The flavor of beef. In: Shahidi F (ed) The flavor of meat and meat products. Blackie, London, pp 4–37

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  58. Kani Y, Yoshikawa N, Okada S, Abe H (2008) Taste-active components in the mantle muscle of the oval squid Sepioteuthis lessoniana and their effects on squid taste. Food Res International 41:371–379

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  59. Gerber N, Scheeder MRL, Wenk C (2009) The influence of cooking and fat trimming on the actual nutrient intake from meat. Meat Sci 81:148–154

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  60. Leonhardt M, Wenk C (1997) Animal species and muscle related differences in thiamine and riboflavin contents of Swiss meat. Food Chem 59:449–452

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  61. Güntert M, Brüning J, Emberger R, Köpsel M, Kuhn W, Thielmann T (1990) Identification and formation of some selected sulfur-containing flavor compounds in various meat model systems. J Agric Food Chem 38:2027–2041

    Article  Google Scholar 

  62. Serra X, Guerrero L, Guardia MD, Gil M, Sanudo C, Panea B, Campo MM, Olleta JL, Garcya-Cachan MD, Piedrafita J, Oliver MA (2008) Eating quality of young bulls from three Spanish beef breed-production systems and its relationships with chemical and instrumental meat quality. Meat Sci 79:98–104

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  63. Mandell IB, Buchanan-Smith JG, Holub BJ, Campbell CP (1997) Effects of fish meal in beef cattle diets on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and fatty acid composition of longissimus muscle. Anim Sci 75:910–919

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  64. Monson F, Sanudo C, Sierra I (2005) Influence of breed and aging time on the sensory meat quality and consumer acceptability in intensively reared beef. Meat Sci 71:471–479

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  65. Lu P, Li D, Yin J, Zhang L, Wang Z (2008) Flavor differences of cooked longissimus muscle from Chinese indigenous pig breeds and hybrid pig breed. Food Chem 107:1529–1537

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  66. Mandell IB, Buchanan-Smith JG, Campbell CP (1998) Effects of forage vs grain feeding on carcass characteristics, fatty acid composition and beef quality in Limousin-cross steers when time on feed is controlled. J Anim Sci 76:2619–2630

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  67. Melton SL (1983) Effect of forage feeding on beef flavor. Food Technol 37:239

    Google Scholar 

  68. Larick DK, Turner BE (1990) Head space volatiles and sensory characteristics of ground beef from forage- and grain fed heifers. J Food Sci 54:649–654

    Article  Google Scholar 

  69. Fujimura S, Kadowaki M (2006) Improvement of meat tastes by dietary components. Bull Fac Agric Nigata Univ 58:151–153

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  70. Erwan E, Alimon AR, Sazili AQ, Yaakub H, Karim R (2011) Effects of levels of l-leucine supplementation with sub-optimal protein in the diet of grower-finisher broiler chickens on carcass composition and sensory characteristics Asian–Australasian. J Anim Sci 24:650–654

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  71. Stelzleni AM, Johnson DD (2008) Effect of days on concentrate feed on sensory off-flavor score, off-flavor descriptor and fatty acid profiles for selected muscles from cull beef cows. Meat Sci 79:382–393

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  72. Kukowski C, Maddock RJ, Wulf DM, Fausti SW, Taylor GL (2005) Evaluating consumer acceptability and willingness to pay for various beef chuck muscles. J Anim Sci 83:2605–2610

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  73. Ba HV, Park KM, Dashdorj D, Inho Hwang IH (2014) Effect of muscle type and vacuum chiller ageing period on the chemical compositions, meat quality, sensory attributes and volatile compounds of Korean native cattle beef. Anim Sci J 85:164–173

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  74. Yancey EJ, Dikeman ME, Hachmeister KA, Chambers E, Milliken GA (2005) Flavor characterization of top-blade, top-sirloin, and tenderloin steaks as affected by pH, maturity, and marbling. Anim Sci 83:2618–2623

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  75. Stetzer AJ, Cadwallader K, Singh TK, Mckeith FK, Brewer MS (2008) Effect of enhancement and aging on flavor and volatile compounds in various beef muscles. Meat Sci 79:13–19

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  76. Calkins CR, Hodgen JM (2007) A fresh look at meat flavor. Meat Sci 77:63–80

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  77. Aristoy MC, Toldra F (1998) Concentration of free amino acids and dipeptides in porcine skeletal muscle with different oxidative patterns. Meat Sci 50:327–332

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  78. Dashdorj D, Yang J, Ba HV, Ryu KS, Hwang IH (2013) Differences in the taste-active compounds between Hanwoo LD and ST muscles and its comparison with Angus LD muscle. Korean J Food Sci Anim 33:508–514

    Article  Google Scholar 

  79. Feidt A, Pettit F, Bruas-Reuigner Brun-Bellut J (1996) Release of free amino-acids during aging in bovine meat. Meat Sci 44:19–25

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  80. Madruga MS, Mottram DS (1995) The effect of pH on the formation of Maillard-derived aroma volatiles using a cooked meat system. J Sci Food Agric 68:305–310

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  81. England EM, Matarneh SK, Scheffler TL, Wachet C, Gerrard DE (2014) pH inactivation of phosphofructokinase arrests postmortem glycolysis. Meat Sci 98:850–857

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  82. Cho BW, Oliveros MC, Park KM, Do KT, Lee KH, Seo KS, Choi JG, Lee MJ, Cho IK, Choi BC, Ryu KS, Hwang IH (2009) Objective and subjective quality characteristics of pork longissimus muscle as a function of the ultimate pH. Korean J Food Sci Anim Res 29:685–694

    Article  Google Scholar 

  83. Shu CK, Hagedorn ML, Mookherjee BD, Ho CT (1985) pH effect on the volatile components in the thermal degradation of cysteine. J Agric Food Chem 33:442–446

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  84. Meynier A, Mottram DS (1995) The effect of pH on the formation of volatile compound in meat-related model systems. Food Chem 52:361–366

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  85. Toldra F, Aristoy MC, Flores M (2000) Contribution of muscle amino peptidases to favor development in dry-cured ham. Food Res Int 33:181–185

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  86. Campo MM, Sanudo C, Panea B, Alberti P, Santolaria P (1999) Breed type and aging time effects on sensory characteristics of beef strip loin steaks. Meat Sci 51:383–390

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  87. Wu G, Farouk MM, Clerens S, Rosenvold K (2014) Effect of beef ultimate pH and large structural protein changes with aging on meat tenderness. Meat Sci 98:637–645

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  88. Ames JM, Defaye AB, Bates L (1997) The effect of pH on the volatiles formed in an extruded starch–glucose–lysine model system. Food Chem 58:323–327

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  89. Shima K, Yamada N, Suzuki E, Harada T (1998) Novel brothy taste modifier isolated from beef broth. J Agric Food Chem 46:1465–1468

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  90. Mohamed R, Livia S, Hassan S, Soher E, Badawy EA (2009) Changes in free amino acids and biogenic amines of Egyptian salted-fermented fish during ripening and storage. Food Chem 115:635–638

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

this work was supported by a grant from the Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea (PJ 010170), and the next generation Biogreen 21(PJ011101).This research was partly supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (Project No. 2014R1A1A2007175).

Conflict of interest

None.

Compliance with Ethics Requirements

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects.

Author information

Author notes

    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Department of Animal Science, Chonbuk National University, #664-1 Duckjin-dong, Jeonju, 561-756, Republic of Korea

      Dashmaa Dashdorj, Touseef Amna & Inho Hwang

    2. Department of Commodity, Mongolian State University of Agriculture, Zaisan, 210153, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

      Dashmaa Dashdorj

    3. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Albaha University, PO Box 1988, Albaha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

      Touseef Amna

    Authors
    1. Dashmaa Dashdorj
      View author publications

      You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

    2. Touseef Amna
      View author publications

      You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

    3. Inho Hwang
      View author publications

      You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

    Corresponding author

    Correspondence to Inho Hwang.

    Additional information

    Dashmaa Dashdorj and Touseef Amna have contributed equally to this work.

    Rights and permissions

    Reprints and permissions

    About this article

    Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

    Cite this article

    Dashdorj, D., Amna, T. & Hwang, I. Influence of specific taste-active components on meat flavor as affected by intrinsic and extrinsic factors: an overview. Eur Food Res Technol 241, 157–171 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-015-2449-3

    Download citation

    • Received:

    • Revised:

    • Accepted:

    • Published:

    • Issue Date:

    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-015-2449-3

    Keywords

    Search

    Navigation