Effects of fatty acid composition on pork sensory characteristics using minced pork or subcutaneous fat mass

The effects of fatty acid composition on pork sensory characteristics were investigated by two analytical panel tests using minced pork or subcutaneous fat mass. Longissimus muscles (n＝36) with various fatty properties obtained from meat markets were used. For cooking, the muscles were roasted in an oven at 165°C until the center temperature of the meat reached 70°C. For both tests using the minced meat or subcutaneous fat mass, the proportion of panelists who detected “rancid odor” was higher in pork with higher levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids than in pork with lower levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (p＜0.05). The intensities of “off-flavor” in both tests were higher in pork with higher levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids than in pork with lower levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids. For the test with subcutaneous fat mass, the correlation coefficient between level of monounsaturated fatty acids and “positive aroma intensity” was 0.42 (p＜0.05); the correlation coefficients between saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids and “off-flavor intensity” were −0.39 and 0.34 (p＜0.05), respectively. These results suggest that high level of polyunsaturated fatty acids tends to increase “off-flavor” in pork, whereas high level of saturated fatty acids tends to decrease “off-flavor”; furthermore, high level of monounsaturated fatty acids is possibly related to “positive aroma intensity”.