Systematic evaluation of the physicochemical properties and the volatile flavors of yak meat during chilled and controlled freezing-point storage

In this study, the physicochemical properties (total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), pH, and peroxide value) and the volatile flavors of yak meat were systematically evaluated during chilled (0 °C) and controlled freezing-point (− 2 °C) storage. The TVB-N reached 15.21 mg/100 g after 18 days of storage at 0 °C, which exceeded the secondary freshness value according to the Chinese national standard. For storage at − 2 °C, the TVB-N did not exceed 15 mg/100 g until 24 days. Compared with storage at 0 °C, the samples stored at − 2 °C had a slower rate of increase in TVB-N, pH, and peroxide values. The changes in volatile compounds in yak meat during storage at − 2 °C and 0 °C for 24 days were investigated using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The correlations between the changes in the volatile compound contents and meat quality deterioration revealed significant negative correlations (rmin = 0.902, p < 0.05) between some aldehyde flavor components (nonanal, heptanal, benzaldehyde, decanal, and myristal) and TVB-N in the samples stored at controlled freezing-point and chilled temperatures. The decreases in nonanal, benzaldehyde, and myristal contents in yak meat followed zero order reaction kinetics. This result indicated, because of the highly selective and sensitive colorimetric detection method, that volatile compounds can effectively predict the decay in quality of yak meat stored at low temperature in advance. Thus, based on physicochemical and volatile flavor analyses, a new method is proposed to investigate the storage and preservation of yak meat.