Effect of some fat replacers on the release of volatile aroma compounds from low-fat meat products

The effect of fat content and carbohydrate fat-replacers on the release of volatile odor compounds from beefburger, salami, and frankfurter has been i nvestigated. The reduction in fat content in any of the three meat products studied resulted in a tendency toward an increase in the quantities of vol atiles released in the headspace. Tapioca starch and maltodextrin appear to delay the release of certain classes of compounds selectively; for instanc e, tapioca starch appears to slow the release of some Maillard products whi le maltodextrin has a similar effect on terpenes. In contrast, oat fiber de creases the release of most of the compounds analyzed. Thus, the addition o f carbohydrate fat-replacers to low-fat meat products could assist the flav or qualities of low-fat meat products by slowing down the release of odor c ompounds.