"Quantification of the Influence of Key Meat Components on the Authentic Taste and Flavour of Meat"

This doctoral project will take place over four years and aims to deepen the understanding of the contribution of meat components to taste and aroma. Year 1 will review existing literature on the topic and explore the impact of lactic acid on meat flavour. Year 2 will focus on the oxidative status of meat components prior to cooking. Year 3 will focus on soluble tastants and taste profile. Year 4 will build on previous findings and focus on plant-based meat applications. Overall, the project aims to advance our understanding of meat flavour chemistry to ultimately enable the production of sustainable meat alternatives with more authentic meat profiles.
Year 1 - Lactic Acid in Meat Flavour
The first year will start with a literature review on meat flavour components. Experiments will deliver insights on the role of lactic acid as a precursor independently from its effect of pH. In-depth investigations will involve lactic acid spiking and pH adjustment, examining aroma and sensory characteristics. Ultimately, experiments involving labelled lactic acid will provide insights into pathways of flavour formation directly derived from it.
Year 2 - Oxidative Status in Meat Flavour
Year 2 will focus on the oxidative status of meat components, especially on the interaction of myoglobin with lipids. Experiments will compare the effect of fresh and oxidised myoglobin on flavour. Experiments will afterwards focus on lipids, phospholipids, and their interaction with myoglobin. Sensory and flavour analysis will be complemented with assays measuring lipid oxidation, such as PV, Tbars, and fatty acid profiling. Results are expected to contribute to a second paper on the role of oxidative status and iron (haem) in meat flavour.
Year 3 - Tastants in Meat
Year 3 will focus on taste and the role of low-molecular-weight tastants in meat flavour development. The initial literature review will cover the state of the art of our knowledge on tastants. Preliminary experiments will isolate fractions of raw and cooked meat, analysing their effects on aroma and sensory characteristics, followed by sensomics. If positive results are obtained, a third paper will explore the effect of non-volatile, low-molecular-weight compounds in meat flavour.
Year 4 - Enhancing Plant-Based Meat Flavour
Year 4 will build upon previous findings to improve plant-based meat flavour. The project may use defatted meat or meat myofibrils as a base for aroma analysis. Simultaneously, the researcher is expected to work on writing the doctoral thesis, summarising all findings and insights, benefiting the scientific community and guiding plant-based meat development."