Electronic nose analysis of volatile compounds from poultry meat samples, fresh and after refrigerated storage

Electronic nose technology has previously been applied to the assessment of the quality of red meats, pork and fish, but not poultry products. In the present study the ability of the electronic nose to assess the microbiological quality of raw poultry meat as a function of storage time and temperature was investigated. Four types of chicken pieces (boneless breast with and without skin, wings and thighs) were stored for up to 2 days at 13degreesC (the maximum allowable temperature in poultry processing environments) or for up to 5 days at 4degreesC (refrigeration temperature for raw poultry products prior to shipping or further processing). Saline rinses of meat samples were serially diluted in tryptic soy broth to 10(-10). The rinses and their associated serial dilutions were analysed on an electronic nose with 12 metal oxide sensors in order to determine the specificity and sensitivity respectively of the assay. Principal component analysis (PCA) maps of the data confirmed that the electronic nose could differentiate volatile compounds associated with individual types of meat samples properly stored at 4degreesC from those maintained at processing temperature, 13degreesC, for a comparable time, even as early as day 1 of storage. Differences in headspace gases from any type of meat sample stored at one temperature could also be determined with increased storage time. However, data from samples stored at 4degreesC clustered more tightly in PCA maps than those associated with samples maintained at 13degreesC, indicating a greater diversity in volatile compounds at the higher temperature. We have shown herein that the electronic nose can detect changes in the volatile compounds associated with chicken meat based on product storage time and temperature; the technology can assess length of sample storage as well as deviation from refrigeration temperature. Published in 2002 for SCI by John Wiley Sons, Ltd.