Key odorants and pretreatment‐driven aroma changes in canned Antarctic krill: sensory validation toward pretreatment optimization

BACKGROUND: Pretreatments can markedly influence the aroma of canned Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) and alter sensory perception, yet sensory-validated chemical evidence for interpreting pretreatment-driven aroma differences remains limited. This study aimed to identify and validate the key odorants associated with pretreatment-driven aroma differences in canned Antarctic krill, thereby providing flavor-relevant evidence for pretreatment comparison and optimization. RESULTS: Quantitative descriptive analysis and E-nose pattern recognition showed clear pretreatment-dependent aroma differences. Aroma-active compounds and pretreatment-driven changes were characterized by gas chromatography-olfactometry-mass spectrometry and prioritized using detection frequency (DF) and flavor dilution (FD) criteria, targeted quantification and odor activity value (OAV) calculation. Forty-eight volatile organic compounds were detected, among which 13 odorants met the criteria of DF ≥ 3, FD ≥ 8 and OAV ≥ 1. Aroma recombination reproduced the sensory profile of the pretreatment associated with the strongest shrimp-like and briny notes, and omission experiments combined with triangle tests confirmed trimethylamine, (Z)-4-heptenal, 1-octen-3-ol, nonanal and 1-penten-3-ol as pivotal contributors (P < 0.05). Salt soaking followed by blanching shifted the sensory profile toward stronger shrimp-like and briny notes, consistent with changes in the key odorant set. CONCLUSION: The verified odorants provide practical indicators for comparing pretreatments and selecting conditions that improve aroma quality in canned krill. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.