Abstract :
[en] This study aimed at understanding which molecules were responsible for the differences existing in
boar taint sensory evaluation. The latter was therefore linked to the results of skatole and
androstenone chemical analyses, fatty acid composition and VOC profiles of heated backfat. This
study confirmed that some discrepancy exists between chemical analysis and sensory evaluation of
tainted backfats. Significant correlations between human nose scores and fatty acid composition were
not revealed. Strong correlations between emissions and contents in skatole and androstenone were
found. Oxidation products of polyunsaturated fatty acids, with fatty odor descriptors, were found to be
more present in the VOC profiles of boar fat considered untainted through the human nose
methodology. Weak coefficient of determination for partial least square regression indicates that other
factors, yet unknown, are responsible for sensory evaluation outcomes. These findings hence support
the idea that high human nose score is mainly due to boar taint compounds rather than general
differences in VOC profiles.
Keywords: boar taint, androstenone, skatole, human nose, fatty acid, VOC
Scopus citations®
without self-citations
4