Analysis of the influence of different cuts of pork on the quality and flavor characteristics of Bazi Pork

Abstract

Different cuts of pork present distinct meat quality and flavor characteristics. This study comprehensively evaluates the quality differences of Bazi Pork made from different cuts of pork (front leg, loin, belly, and hind leg). The results show that Bazi Pork 3 (BP3) has the highest fat content (p < 0.05), while Bazi Pork 2 (BP2) has the highest hardness, chewiness, and protein content (p < 0.05). Gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) was used to investigate the flavor attributes of the four Bazi Pork samples, and 41 volatile compounds were identified, including 11 aldehydes, 10 ketones, 10 alcohols, 4 esters, 2 acids, 3 heterocyclic compounds, and 1 alkenes. The predictive model established by orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) is stable and reliable, and 10 characteristic volatile compounds were selected based on variable importance projection (VIP). Through relative odor activity value (ROAV) analysis, 7, 4, 5, and 6 key volatile compounds (ROAV ≥1) were identified in the four sample groups, respectively. The overlapping volatile compounds identified by OPLS-DA and ROAV include 1-hexanal-D, propanal, n-pentanal-D, 2-butanone-3-hydroxy-D, and 3-methyl butanal. This study provides valuable analytical data to distinguish and characterize the quality and flavor characteristics of the four Bazi Pork and offers a theoretical basis for the formulation of industry standards for the industrialization of Bazi Pork products.