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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Quality and Safety Assessment Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #314807
Title: Influence of partial replacement of NaCl with KCl on profiles of volatile compounds in dry-cured bacon during processing

Author
item WU, HAIZHOU - Nanjing Agricultural University
item Zhuang, Hong
item ZHANG, YINGYANG - Nanjing Agricultural University
item TANG, JING - Nanjing Agricultural University
item YU, XIANG - Nanjing Agricultural University
item LONG, MEN - Nanjing Agricultural University
item WANG, JIAMAI - Nanjing Agricultural University
item ZHANG, JIANHAO - Nanjing Agricultural University

Submitted to: Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/16/2014
Publication Date: 9/28/2014
Citation: Wu, H., Zhuang, H., Zhang, Y., Tang, J., Yu, X., Long, M., Wang, J., Zhuang, J. 2014. Influence of partial replacement of NaCl with KCl on profiles of volatile compounds in dry-cured bacon during processing. Food Chemistry. 172:391-399.

Interpretive Summary: Sodium chloride (NaCl) is an essential ingredient in dry-cured meat products. NaCl functions as a preserving agent, improves flavor of products, and provides dietary sodium. However, in spite of these essential roles in producing dry-cured meat, over-consumption of sodium could lead to the propensity to develop hypertension, stroke, and coronary heart disease. Potassium chloride has properties similar to sodium chloride and is widely tested for substituting NaCl in food. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of the partial substitution of NaCl with KCl on flavor of dry-cured bacons using aroma active volatiles as indicators. A total of 53 volatile compounds were identified in dry-cured bacons treated with three different levels of KCl, including 13 aldehydes, 15 alcohols, 2 carboxylic acids, 7 ketones, 6 esters, and 10 hydrocarbons. The formation of the volatile compounds significantly increased during the dry-curing process, particularly during the drying/ripening period. The partial substitution of NaCl by KCl did not strongly affect the change of the volatile compounds during the salting stage of dry-curing. However, the substitution significantly impacted the formation of majorities of volatile compounds during the drying/ripening period. At the end of processing, the substitution of 70% NaCl with KCl resulted in significant increases in most volatile compounds. However, few significant differences were observed in the formation of volatile compounds between 100% NaCl treatment and 60% NaCl plus 40% KCl treatment. These results demonstrate that replacement of NaCl with KCl could significantly change aroma/flavor of dry-cured bacons. In order to remain traditional aroma/flavour of dry-cured bacon products, no more than 40% substitution of NaCl with KCl should be used for healthier food innovations.

Technical Abstract: This study investigated the influence of partial substitution of NaCl with KCl on the formation of volatile compounds in bacons during processing using a purge and trap dynamic headspace GC/MS system. Three substitutions were 0% KCl (I), 40% KCl (II), and 70% KCl (III). The profiles of the volatile compounds significantly changed during processing, particularly during the drying/ripening. At the end of process, the bacons from substitution III formed significantly higher levels of lipid-derived volatiles, such as straight chain aldehydes, hydrocarbons than bacons from substitutions I and II, whereas substitutions I and II resulted in higher levels of volatiles from amino acid degradation, such as 3-methylbutanal. There were very few differences in volatile formation between 0% and 40% KCl application. These results suggest that K+ substitution of Na+ by more than 40% may significantly change profiles of volatiles in finished dry-cured bacons and therefore would result in changes in the product aroma and/or flavor.