361 Beef flavor chemistry and how it influences sensory perception

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><br> <jats:p>Flavor can be simply defined as the combination of taste and aroma. Taste refers to the five basic receptors: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami. Flavor is the perception of chemical compounds reacting with receptors in the oral and nasal cavities (aroma) in combination with taste. For beef, flavor is considered a primary eating quality trait. Flavor is developed during cooking through a combination of numerous chemical reactions, principally the Maillard reaction and oxidation of lipids. Any factor which mediates precursor compounds to these reactions may influence flavor chemistry and final perceived flavor. For the Maillard reaction, water-soluble compounds, such as free-amino acids and sugars, are essential and allow for the development of characteristic beef flavors. Likewise, oxidation of lipids, to a degree, provides beef -species-specific flavor. However, too much oxidation contributes to off-flavor. Both pre- and