Identification of Taste-Active Components in the Chicken Meat Extract by Omission Test-Involvement of Glutamic Acid, IMP and Potassium lon

Abstract

In order to investigate the taste of chicken meat, taste-active components in the meat extract from 8-week-old female Cobb strain broilers were identified by sensory evaluation. First, the components of the meat extract were analyzed chemically, and total 28 components, i.e., 16 amino acids, 6 adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) metabolites and 6 inorganic ions could be detected. The pH of the extract solution was 5.87. To clarify the contribution of these components to the taste of chicken meat, omission test by triangle difference teat was conducted. A mixed chemical solution was prepared based on the composition of the meat extract. When the extract and chemical solution were compared, there was no difference in their taste each other except for slight sourness. Thus, this mixed solution was used as a reference solution in the subsequent sensory evaluation. From the data of omission test, groups of amino acids, ATP metabolites and inorganic ions affected the taste of chicken meat extract solution. Out of the components of these groups, glutamic acid, 5'-inosinic acid (IMP) and potassium ion (K+) were identified as the taste-active components. To confirm the involvement of these 3 components to the taste of chicken meat, a solution consisting of glutamic acid, IMP and K+ was compared with the reference solution, which exhibited no difference between the taste of these two solutions. These results suggest that these 3 components, glutamic acid, IMP and K+, account for most of the taste of chicken meat.