Effects of Enzymatic Hydrolysis on Sensory and Character Aroma Compounds of Beef Tallow

To explore the impact of enzymatic hydrolysis technology on sensory and characteristic aroma compounds in beef tallow, three enzymatic processes and a control without enzyme were employed for beef tallow production. Enhanced aroma intensity was observed in enzymatically treated tallows through quantitative sensory analysis, with 146 volatile compounds identified by Gas Chromatography -Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS). The lipase-alone or combined with protease treatment increased ketones and aldehydes, while protease treatment favored branched alcohols, furans, and heterocyclic compounds. Orthogonal partial least square (OPLS) analysis showed that 'fatty', 'animalic (beef)', and 'fishy' odors were positively correlated with 2/3-methylbutanal, benzaldehyde, benzeneacetaldehyde, and furfural. Moreover, C5-C9 saturated aldehydes and n-2-alkenals were positively correlated with 'rancid' and 'burnt' attributes. While, meat aroma showed strong association with 2-furanmethanol, furfuran, 2-ethylfuran, acetylthiazole, 3-methylthiopropanal, and 2-methoxyfuran. The findings provide considerable guidance in the optimization and innovation of enzymatic beef tallow flavor precision control.