Volatile Compounds Present in Traditional Meat Products (charqui and longaniza sausage) in Chile

The aim of this work was to identify and quantify the volatile compounds in five different commercial brands of charqui and longaniza sausages. Volatile compounds were extracted from some samples headspace using solid phase microextraction (SPME). The identification and quantification were made through the gas chromatography with a mass-selective detector (GS-MS). Fifty-four volatile compounds were identified in charqui samples and thirty-two volatile compounds in longaniza sausages. The chemical groups of the volatile compounds found in both the products were: aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, organic acids, furans, aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons. Significant differences were found (p<0.05) in the volatile compounds among the brands of longaniza and charqui. A characteristic volatile compounds profile was not found in the analyzed products. However, an important percentage of the volatile compounds in charqui came from the lipid oxidation. In the case of longanizas sausages, volatile compounds come mainly from the carbohydrates fermentation and spices.