(P09-014-24) Evaluating Volatile Flavor and Taste Component Changes of Beer Fish Using HS-GC-IMS, E-nose, and E-tongue at Various Processing Stages

Objectives: This study investigated the changes in flavor and taste compounds throughout the different processing stages of beer fish using various analytical techniques.

Methods: The beer fish product was prepared with several processing stages, including ultrasonic-cured fish (UF), deep-fried fish after marination (FF), and final beer fish (SF). Samples were collected at different processing stages for further analysis, including fresh fish (RF), UF, FF, and SF. Samples were analyzed using the HS-GC-IMS, HPLC, E-tongue, and E-nose.

Results: The findings demonstrated that the final beer fish product had the highest overall amount of taste amino acids, with alanine, glutamic acid, and glycine significantly contributing to the final product's taste. FF sample had the highest inosine monophosphate (IMP) concentration, followed by SF and UF. The E-tongue and E-nose results showed that the taste and odor profile of beer fish differed substantially among samples due to the influence of processing stages. The study found that frying and dipping improve beer fish taste. The GC-IMS analysis identified a total of 67 volatile compounds in all samples. These compounds included 26 aldehydes, 11 alcohols, 10 ketones, 2 esters, 3 acids, 7 terpenoids, 6 sulfur-containing compounds, 1 furan, and 1 unidentified substance. The relative content of aldehydes and ketones was high, with aldehydes constituting more than 37% of the total compounds detected. The processing stages significantly affected the composition of the flavor components. The PLS-DA model screened 35 volatile flavor components (VIP >1) as markers; the most significant differences were 1-propanethiol, isoamyl alcohol, ethanol, and eucalyptol.

Conclusions: The formation of flavor compounds may be greatly enhanced by ultrasonic processing, frying, and soaking sauce, which will ultimately increase the overall umami and flavor of the beer fish. The findings of this study serve as a theoretical foundation for producing and processing beer fish in terms of flavor chemistry. In future studies, GC-MS, GC-O-MS, metabolomics, and other technologies may help explain beer fish flavor production and improve its flavor.

Funding Sources: This work was financially supported by the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region level financial science and technology plan project Guangxi Key Research and Development Plan (AB19110023).