Changes in the flavor formation and sensory attributes of Maillard reaction products by different oxidation degrees of beef tallow via cold plasma.

It remains unclear how the oxidation degree of animal fat affects the flavor formation and sensory attributes of Maillard reaction products (MRPs). To oxidize beef tallow differentially under mild conditions, an atmospheric pressure cold plasma (APCP) was applied due to its easy, economical, and controllable manipulation and effectiveness. As the duration of APCP increased after 10 min, the oxidation degree of beef tallow increased significantly (p < 0.05). The beef tallow was incorporated into the cysteine-xylose model system and heated at 120 °C for 90 min. Volatiles from lipid oxidation products increased, whereas sulfur-containing compounds decreased significantly when the model included APCP-treated beef tallow (p < 0.05). MRPs with 10-min APCP-treated beef tallow showed reduced off-odor (p < 0.05). Thus, moderate APCP treatment to beef tallow may be beneficial for sensory attributes of MRPs. It suggests the potential of APCP to improve the flavor of heat-sensitive foods by controlling lipid oxidation.