Production of Volatiles from Fatty Acids and Oils by Irradiation

To understand the mechanisms of off-odor production in irradiated meat, the volatile compounds produced from individual fatty acids by irradiation were identified. Nonirradiated oil emulsions prepared with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) produced many volatile compounds, but the amounts of volatiles generally decreased after irradiation. Although volatile profiles of fatty acid emulsions were changed by irradiation, the odor characteristics and intensity between irradiated and nonirradiated fatty acid emulsions were not different. Thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) values indicated that irradiation accelerated lipid oxidation during subsequent storage, but the volatiles produced by lipid oxidation were not the major contributors of off-odor in irradiated samples