An effective means to improve the flavor quality of traditional fermented sour meat: The salt reduction strategy

The flavor formation of fermented meat products is significantly influenced by salt. In this study, the flavor analysis methods of electronic tongue and nose, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry were utilized to explore the effect of salt content on the formation of sour meat flavor. The results demonstrated a significant decrease in pH value with the reduction of salt content ( P < 0.05), while there was a significant rise in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) value associated with the decline in salt content ( P < 0.05). Alcohols, aldehydes, and esters such as 1-octen-3-ol, 3-methyl-1-butanol, hexanal, heptanal, ethyl octanoate, ethyl heptanoate, etc. were considered to have significant contributions to the overall flavor of sour meat. The rapid accumulation of these aroma compounds under low-salt conditions was regarded as one of the key factors in the overall flavor enhancement of sour meat products. Additionally, the low-salt fermentation also promoted the accumulation of free amino acids and free fatty acids in sour meat products, thereby facilitating the formation of more complex aroma compounds. This study offers new technological ways to improve the conventional method of fermenting sour meat and offers theoretical justification for studies on salt reduction in conventionally fermented meat products. • The effect of salt on the flavor of sour meat was studied by metabolomics technique. • Ethyl esters play a key role in the formation of pleasant flavor of sour meat. • Low-salt fermentation promotes the accumulation of free amino acids in sour meat. • The accumulation of lactic acid is the main source of rich sourness in sour meat. • Low-salt fermentation has a positive effect on the flavor formation of sour meat.