Abstract: This research aimed to characterize the flavor profiles of dry-fermented sausages from various Chinese regions: Hefei (HF), Harbin (HRB), Huangshan (HS), Suzhou (SZ) and Chengdu (CD) using multivariate analysis. The findings revealed significant differences in the water contents, water activity, pH, L*, a*, and b* values of fermented sausage samples in different regions. The results from electronic tongue confirmed that the SZ and CD samples exhibited significantly higher umami, richness, and saltiness when compared with the other samples. The electronic nose results indicated that sensor W5S exhibited the highest response values for all analyzed samples. A total of 121 volatile compounds were identified in all samples, among which 26 were selected as key volatile compounds. Eucalyptol, neral, and benzaldehyde were identified as the most important volatile compounds in the HRB, SZ, and CD samples, respectively, while (E)-2-nonenal was identified as the most important volatile compound in the HF and HS samples. Partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) revealed that the HS, SZ, and HF samples shared similar aroma characteristics, whereas the HS and HF samples exhibited similar taste profiles. In total, 25 differential volatile compounds were selected using the cutoff of variable importance in projection (VIP) value > 1 and P < 0.05. Furthermore, the correlation analysis between key volatile compounds and taste suggested that 1-octen-3-ol, hexanal, heptanal, and (E)-2-nonenal played critical roles in modulating the taste. These findings provide theoretical guidance for improving the flavor of traditional fermented sausages.

Key words: fermented sausage; flavor profile; key volatile compound; electronic nose; electronic tongue; multivariate analysis