Fatty Acid Composition of Meat Animals as Flavor Precursors

This article provides an overview of fatty acids in meat, their variation among animal species, and the roles of fatty acids as flavor precursors. Animal fat mostly consists of triglycerides and phospholipids. Fats from ruminant (cattle, sheep, and goats) and monogastric (pigs and horses) animals have similar fatty acids with more saturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids than polyunsaturated fatty acids. In monogastric animals, fatty acids in the muscle reflect the composition of diets, whereas ruminant fatty acids are more saturated because of biohydrogenation in the rumen. Lipid- derived flavor compounds are formed from the thermal oxidation of fatty acids during cooking, producing more desirable aromatic compounds than autoxidation. Monounsaturated fatty acids such as oleic acid and polyunsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic acid in meat produce various volatile compounds contributing to cooked meat aromas. Under most cooking conditions, lipid-derived flavor compounds are usually predominant. However, these compounds have greater thresholds than those derived from water-soluble compounds, such as the Maillard reaction products. The interactions between lipid oxidation products and Maillard compounds are more important for the development of meat flavor than originally thought. Moreover, fat-derived volatile compounds provide flavor notes indicative of species identification.