Effects of Dry Aging Times on the Quality of Yak Meat

To investigate the changes in the quality of yak meat at different dry aging times (7, 14, 21, 28 and 35 d), in this study, sensory evaluation, texture analysis, and GC-IMS were employed to investigate the changes in texture and flavor of yak meat during different dry aging periods. Additionally, PLS-DA was utilized to identify the characteristic flavor compounds. The results showed that the dry aged 35 days sample exhibited the highest comprehensive score, with intact soft tissue structure and a favorable overall acceptability of aroma. The dry aging time had significant effects on the hardness, chewability, and adhesivity of yak meat (P<0.05), which displayed a decreasing trend as aging time extended. A total of 50 volatile compounds were detected, including 14 alcohols, 11 aldehydes, 12 esters, 3 olefins, and 2 acids (mono and dipolymers). The relative contents of aldehydes, alcohols, and esters increased with ripening time while the relative contents of ketones and olefins decreased. There were significant differences in the overall flavor of yak meat at various maturation stages, with greater disparities observed between 0 days and 35 days. 17 key volatile compounds were identified, including 3-Hydroxy-2-butanone(D), 1-hexanol (M), and hexanal (D). This study revealed the effects of dry aging time on the texture and flavor of yak meat, providing a theoretical basis for the flavor formation and product development of dry-aged yak meat.