Research Progress on Livers of Livestock and Poultry: A Review of Odorants and Deodorization Techniques

As one of the main processing by-products of livestock and poultry meat, the liver is rich in vitamins, minerals, unsaturated fatty acids and proteins, but the strong odor is a widespread problem for livers from different species, which is a key factor restricting the eating quality, processing quality and consumer acceptance of liver products. At present, traditional food processing methods such as marination, pickling, and baking are the main methods for removing the odor of liver products. Despite being effective, these methods have some disadvantages, such as changes in the flavor of raw materials, the formation of harmful factors, restrictions on the form of ingredients, and excessive oxidation of free radicals, limiting the applicability of raw materials. New deodorization techniques, including biological fermentation, ultrafiltration, rinsing, encapsulation and ozone treatment, have been tested on liver products, but the underlying mechanisms remain not clear. This article analyzes and discusses the current utilization status of livestock and poultry livers, the distribution and formation of major odorants in livestock and poultry livers, and the current development status, advantages and disadvantages, and application mechanism of deodorization techniques, in order to provide a theoretical reference for reconstructing and improving the flavor of liver-based food products and promoting the deep processing and value-added utilization of meat processing by-products.