Hydrogen Sulfide, a Direct and Potentially Indirect Contributor to Cooked Chicken Aroma

SUMMARY: The 35 parts per billion (ppb) H 2 S in freshly prepared broth and the 180 to 730 ppb H 2 S in meat of freshly simmered, roasted and fried chicken all substantially exceed the 10 ppb H 2 S odor threshold in water. Hence, HeS contributes directly to the aroma of these products. Freezing, thawing and reheating can reduce the H 2 S in broth to subthreshold levels thus indicating the transient nature of its direct contribution to aroma. In a model system, H 2 S was passed through molten chicken fat containing 5% acetaldehyde. After expulsion of excess H 2 S and acetaldehyde the residual highly odorous fat exhibited a fixed sulfur content. These exploratory results, together with related results reported in the literature, suggest that a reaction beween HIS and acetaldehyde was involved and that such interactions between H 2 S and carbonyls in fat could be quite general. Thus H 2 S mav also contribute to cooked chicken flavor and aroma through the formation of such secondary products.