Investigating the quality discrepancy between different salmon and tracing the key lipid precursors of roasted flavor

Differences in raw material characteristics directly affect the processing characteristics and quality of the final product. Therefore, it is important for the salmon industry to start regulating or grading from raw material side. In this study, the material characteristics and flavor quality of three different salmons: Atlantic salmon, red salmon, and pink salmon were evaluated. Trans-2,cis-6-nonadienal, octanal, and cis-4-heptenal contributed to the fishy aroma of roasted salmon, while fresh salmon was mainly caused by octanal. The oily aroma of fresh salmon was relevant to octanal, decanal, and 1-heptanol. The results indicated that the composition of phospholipids affect the flavor of roasted salmon, such as phosphatidylethanolamines and phosphatidylcholines, were closely related to the roasted and fishy aroma of roasted salmon. This study revealed that roasting could reduce the sensory quality difference between salmon by changing the textural property and volatile compound profile, provide guidance for production, grading, and consumption of salmon.