Can sensory boar taint levels be explained by fatty acid composition and emitted volatile organic compounds in addition to androstenone and skatole content?

Abstract

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: Androstenone; Boar taint; Fatty acid; Human nose; Skatole; VOC.