Abstract: This study aimed to elucidate the effects of four reheating methods (oven heating, boiling, microwaving, and air frying) and reheating cycles on warmed-over flavor (WOF) in prepared meat patties, prepared in our laboratory. Quality changes were investigated in multiple dimensions, including physicochemical properties, sensory characteristics, and volatile flavor compounds. The results indicated that WOF in the prepared patties was primarily characterized by rancid, sulfurous, and linseed oil-like odors. The key compounds contributing to WOF were identified as 2-hexanol, 3-octanol, 2,4-decadienal, 2-nonenal, hexyl acetate, and benzothiazole. Additionally, reheating cycles had an accumulative effect on the contents of these compounds, which significantly increases after more than two reheating cycles. Notably, microwaving and boiling were more likely to promote WOF formation, whereas air frying effectively suppressed the generation of key WOF-related compounds. Furthermore, air frying significantly reduced the hardness and chewiness of the patties (P < 0.05) and improved their color. In conclusion, these findings provide a theoretical foundation for both establishing flavor quality standards and optimizing quality attributes in processed meat products.

Key words: processed meat products; quality; warmed-over flavor; key flavor compounds; sensory evaluation; gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry