Revealing the flavor changes of spiced beef under different thermal treatment temperatures: A complementary approach with GC-IMS and GC-O-MS.

The flavor profiles of spiced beef (SB) and the impact of thermal treatment temperature were analyzed using complementary GC-IMS and GC-O-MS techniques. The results indicated that spice, roasted-meaty, and caramel flavors significantly contributed to the SB profile. Thermal treatment degraded α-phellandrene, citral, γ-terpinene, and other terpenoids, reducing spice flavor intensity. However, milder thermal treatments at 80°C and 95°C lessened this degradation. Increasing temperatures promoted fat oxidation and degradation, Maillard reactions, and Strecker degradation of amino acids. Thus, appropriate thermal treatment enhanced compounds related to roasted-meaty flavor (e.g., 3-methylbutyraldehyde, 1-octen-3-ol) and caramel flavor (e.g., hydroxyacetone). However, intense thermal treatment at 110 °C caused excessive Maillard reactions that produced off-flavors like 2-methylthiophene and methyl disulfide. This study provides insights into flavor changes in spice meat products under different thermal treatment temperatures. It provides a practical foundation and a theoretical basis for the traditional processing and sterilization methods of SB.