Effect of Different Thermal Sterilization Conditions on Quality of Sauced Duck Neck

In order to explore the effects of different thermal sterilization conditions on the quality of sauced duck neck, the quality characteristics of sauced duck neck subjected to one of three heat treatment conditions (90 ℃/15 min, 90 ℃/30 min or 121 ℃/15 min) or not subjected to heat sterilization were evaluated using an amino acid analyzer, high performance liquid chromatography, an electronic nose and an electronic tongue, etc. The results showed the contents of protein, fat, thiamine and salt in sauced duck neck decreased with the increase in sterilization temperature or time, while these parameters decreased significantly upon high-temperature sterilization (121 ℃/15 min) (P < 0.05). Sensory evaluation showed that high-temperature sterilization reduced the meaty aroma, produced off-odor, and lowered the umami and saltiness scores significantly (P < 0.05). The electronic nose effectively distinguished all treatment groups except the unsterilized group and the 90 ℃/15 min group. Collectively, the electronic tongue data and flavor nucleotide and amino acid analysis showed that thermal sterilization conditions had a significant effect on the umami and saltiness of sauced duck neck (P < 0.05), and the main taste substances causing the change of the umami taste were glutamate, 5’-guanosine acid and 5’-inosine acid. Finally, we conclude that low-temperature and long-time sterilization has a positive effect on the quality of sauced duck neck, while high-temperature sterilization has an unfavorable effect on it.