Abstract: The flavor characteristics of cooked sausage with different amounts of nitrite addition((0, 50, 100 and 150 mg/kg) were studied. The volatile flavor compounds of cooked sausages were extracted by solid phase microextraction (SPME), and then identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS). It indicated that 52 compounds are found in the cooked sausage at 10day refrigerated storage, including 20 kinds of alcohols, 6 aldehydes, 4 ketones, and each of some acid, ester and hydrocarbons together with 3 terpenes, 6 nitrogen, 2 oxygenous and 8 acyclic compounds. However, after the addition of different amounts nitrites, new volatile flavor compounds from cooked sausages are found to be ethanol, 1-butanol, 2-hexen-1-ol,(E)-, 2-hepten-1-ol,(E)-, 2-octen-1-ol,(E)-, menthol, butanal,3-methyl-, hexanoic acid, pinene and 4-nitrophthalamide, but 3 compounds, namely beta-ocimeney, 1H-pyrrole and pyrazine,tetramethyl-are not identified in nitrites added sausages. In conclusion, the cured-meat flavor of cooked sausage is enhanced after nitrite additions, and total relative contents of volatile flavor compounds from 150 mg/kg nitrite addition increase obviously in comparison with cooked sausage without nitrite addition.

Key words: nitrite, cooked sausage, flavor, SPME, GC-MS