Abstract:  Flavor study of different grades Jinhua ham was carried out under a SPME (solid phase microextraction)-GC/MS system, with Biceps femoris as samples that were taken out randomly from 5 Jinhua hams of different grades. Results showed that 116 flavors were detected in four grades hams, where as 84 flavors were detected in grade 1 Jinhua ham, while 84 in grade 2, 83 in grade 3, and 92 in grade 4, respectively. The flavor compounds could be clustered in the following chemical families: alkanes and alkenes, aromatic hydrocarbons, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, esters, terpenes, oxygenous hetero- cycle compounds, nitrogenous compounds, sulphur compounds, amides and amines. Results of the principal component analysis showed that the first principal component was determined by butanoic acid, 3-methyl butanoic acid, phenol, propanoic acid and butanoic acid ethyl ester and the second was determined by hexanal, pentanal, 3-methyl butanal, 2-methyl butanal, 1-octen-3- ol, acetone and 2,3-butanediol. The first and second principal component explained 71.6% and 20.5% of the total variance of flavors in different grades Jinhua hams respectively. According to the generation pathway of flavors, it can be said that microorganism is the most important fact or affecting the product grade.

Key words: meat product, Jinhua ham, flavor, PCA (principal component analysis)