Researching the Perfect Steak
Aroma, taste evaluated by Texas AgriLife Research scientist.
Both taste and aroma are key factors one meat scientist is using to learn more about producing a better tasting steak. Chris Kerth, a Texas AgriLife Research meat scientist and associate professor in the department of animal science at Texas A&M University in College Station, is using AromaTrax technology in his laboratory to evaluate both aroma and flavor.
"We analyze all methods of sensory (input) using taste and aroma," said Kerth, who was recently featured on National Public Radio's Science Friday broadcast from San Antonio. Kerth also presented his research at the Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course in College Station, sponsored by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service.
AromaTrax uses gas chromatography/mass spectrometry coupled with a human "sniff port" to separate volatile compounds in the air around the hot, cooked sample, he said. "Part of the sample goes to the machine that identifies the chemical compound, while a person sits at the sniff port and smells each of the compounds."
When they detect an odor, they click on a computer screen to match the aroma and intensity.
"The computer then matches the chemical compound to the aroma and intensity," Kerth said. This allows an aroma/sensory profile to be developed for each product.
"Since each of the fatty acids and other meat components serve as precursors to the volatile compounds that we smell and taste, a direct link can be made between the sensory trait and the actual chemical compounds in the meat," Kerth said.
The proprietary software, coupled with the powerful chemical identification capability of the machine, "is a great tool to describe flavor and aroma profiles," Kerth said.
Some of his research objectives are to determine the effect of diet (forage, distillers' grain) on flavor, optimum temperature for grilling particular beef cuts, if flavor is increased by altering cooking methodology, optimum conditions for aging beef, and optimizing genetics and developing a strategy to enhance beef's greatest asset — its flavor, he said.
Kerth's research may branch out beyond meat science, he said, possibly using the lab to research other food products in the future.
"We can use the machine to evaluate virtually every volatile chemical compound in food to see what are the most valuable traits," he said. "It's exciting technology that we hope to use to create more value for food products in the future."