The effects of frozen storage on fatty acids, amino acids, and volatile compounds in mutton stored for 90 days

Frozen storage can delay mutton meat spoilage to the maximum extent, prolonging its shelf life. In this experiment, mutton refrigerated for 24 h was used as the control group and that stored at −18°C was used as the experimental group to explore the effects of frozen storage for 90 days on FA, AA, and VOC of the mutton. The results showed that FA, AA, and VOC changed significantly during storage. PUFA and n-3 FA contents were the highest at 3 days of freezing (54.92 and 15.28 mg/100 g, respectively). AA contents were higher in the experimental group than in the control group, and Glu contents were the highest during the whole storage period, ranging from 2.94% to 3.28%, and the maximum value was on the 3rd day. In total, 38 volatile compounds were detected, and the most abundant volatile compounds were detected at 60 days. The variance contribution rates of PCA were 48.7%, 19.4%, and 14.8%, the PCA model can be used as a separation model. Novelty impact statement This study simulated the storage of mutton by household users and shortened the detection time point at the initial freezing stage, indicating that the differences in flavor substance changes in mutton at the initial freezing stage was little. On the other hand, GC-IMS was effectively used to visualize flavor substance changes during storage, providing a new method to distinguish the storage time of meat products. In conclusion, this study can provide basic research data for long-term storage of mutton and provide technical reference for meat storage identification.