Measuring Lipid Oxidation Volatiles in Meats

A relatively simple, low cost vacuum distillation method for trapping and concentrating meat volatiles for identification and quantification by gas chromatography (GC) was developed. The method was used to measure the oxidative stability of cooked chicken meats from birds fed different diets. Volatiles were distilled under vacuum (< 4 mm Hg) and absorbed onto a Sep‐Pak cartridge prior to GC. The method allowed the specific analysis of individual volatile products and total volatiles from lipid oxidation. The analytical data provided similar information to TBA numbers and sensory data relative to effectiveness of antioxidants in the diet for controlling oxidative deterioration of meat.