Elucidating mechanisms involved in flavor generation of dry-aged beef loins using metabolomics approach

•Greater abundance of flavor-precursors was found in dry-aged beef.•More glutamate containing dipeptides and nucleotides were found in dry-aged beef.•Increases in volatile compounds in dry-aged beef were identified.•Dry-aging lowered metabolites related to undesirable flavor such as terpenoids.•Glutathione metabolism could be attributed to dry-aged flavor generation.