Food Biochemistry and Food Processing

654

Table 28.5.

Quality Aspects: Generation or Presence of Desirable Nonvolatile Compounds Contributing to

Taste in Fermented Meats

Main Representative

Routes of

Presence in

Expected

Group of Compounds

Compounds

Generation

Final Product

Main Contribution

Intensity

Peptides

Tri- and dipeptides

Proteolysis

Increases with length of

Taste

High

process

Free amino acids

Glutamic acid, aspartic

Proteolysis

Increases with length

Taste

High

acid, alanine, lysine,

of process

threonine

Nucleotides and

Inosine monophosphate,

ATP degradation

Around 100 mg/100g

Taste enhancement

Low

nucleosides

guanosine monophosphate, inosine, hypoxanthine

Long-chain free

Oleic acid, linoleic

Lipolysis

Increases with length of

Taste

Low

fatty acids

acid, linolenic acid,

process

arachidonic acid,palmitic acid

Short-chain

Acetic acid, propionic

Microbial

Depends on microflora

Taste

Medium

fatty acids

acid

metabolism

Acids

Lactic acid

Glycolysis

Depends on initial

Sour taste

High

amount of sugar and fermentation

Carbohydrates

Glucose, lactose

Remaining (not

Depends on initial

Sweet taste

Low

consumed through

amount of sugar and

glycolysis)

microflora

Inorganic

Salt

Addition

Depends on initial

Salty taste

High

compounds

amount