THE PROBLEM OF TAINT IN PORK .2. THE INFLUENCE OF SKATOLE, ANDROSTENONE AND INDOLE, PRESENTED INDIVIDUALLY AND IN COMBINATION IN A MODEL LIPID BASE, ON ODOR PERCEPTION

Responses to varying concentrations of androstenone and skatole in a n eutral lipid base were studied using a trained 10-member panel. Concen trations for skatole and androstenone ranged between 0-1.32 and 0-6.0 mu g g(-1), respectively. Odour, androstenone and skatole intensities were assessed by the line scaling method. Triangular tests showed that the panel significantly distinguished indole from androstenone, p les s than or equal to 0.01, but not from skatole nor mixtures of androste none and skatole. Regression analyses showed ed linear relationships b etween skatole and androstenone concentrations and odour intensity bur with a significant (p less than or equal to 0.01) androstenone-assess or interaction. Correlation coefficients with odour intensity were 0.6 4 and 0.63 for androstenone and skatole concentrations, respectively. Response surface curves showed that odour intensity depended on the li near terms of skatole, androstenone and on the quadratic term of andro stenone, Androstenone and skatole intensity ratings revealed that the effect of skatole was enhanced by the presence of androstenone, but no t the reverse. It was concluded that whilst both androstenone and skat ole may be important for the sorting (classification) of pork, the imp ortance of androstenone lies in its detection threshold whilst for ska tole, the acceptability threshold may be a suitable criterion for qual ity control purposes. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.