Effects of high-pressure processing on the volatile compounds of sliced cooked pork shoulder during refrigerated storage

The effect of high-pressure processing (pressure levels of 400, 500 and 600 MPa, and exposure times of 5 and 10 min) on the volatile profile of vacuum-packaged sliced cooked pork shoulder held for 28 days at 4 °C was assessed. The volatile fraction of pressurized samples scarcely changed immediately after treatment and remained stable for 14 days, regardless the pressure and time of exposure. After 21 days of storage, significant differences were observed in the profile of volatile compounds in pressurized samples as compared with control samples, these differences being treatment dependent. At the end of the storage period, control and 400 MPa samples showed higher levels of acetic and fatty acids, ethanol and ethyl esters, whereas 500 and 600 MPa samples contained higher levels of ethanal, branched-chain aldehydes, diacetyl, acetoin, and 2,3-butanediol among other compounds. These results suggest that the high-pressure treatment had a discriminant effect on the microbiota of cooked pork shoulder, which led to the accumulation of different volatile compounds during the refrigerated storage of control and pressurized samples.