Effect of heat on the fatty acids and aldehydes of veal meat phospholipids

Summary Reactions involving phospholipids contribute considerably to the flavour and aroma of cooked meat. The effect of heat on the fatty acids and fatty aldehydes of phospholipids from veal was studied using aqueous model systems wherein extracted phospholipid fractions were heated in the presence or absence of ribose or glycine. After 1 h at 132°C, ethanolamine‐containing phospholipids rapidly lost most of their component aldehydes but not their fatty acids, whereas choline‐containing phospholipids lost their aldehydes much more slowly. In both cases, the presence of ribose or glycine had little effect on the loss of aldehydes. In the meat itself, after heating at 132°C, there was a 90% loss of aldehydes which was similar for both the ethanolamine‐ and choline‐containing phospholipids, but the latter lost fatty acids more slowly than the former.