Flavor contributions of fat and sarcoplasmic protein in chicken white soup: A multimodal analysis using GC-MS, GC-IMS, E-nose, and E-tongue

This study investigated the synergistic effect of fat and sarcoplasmic protein on the flavor profile of chicken white soup. The impact of adding 2% fat (2%O), 0.56% sarcoplasmic protein (0.56%P), and their combination (2%O-0.56%P) on volatile compounds, taste components, and sensory characteristics was evaluated. Through odor activity value (OAV) and gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) analysis, hexanal, heptanal, octanal, nonanal, (E,E)-2,4-decadienal, (E)-2-octen-1-al, and 1-octen-3-ol were identified as key aroma contributors. The combination of 2%O and 0.56%P markedly enhanced the aroma profile of the chicken soup, concurrently achieving the highest levels of amino acids and 5′-nucleotides. Furthermore, electronic tongue analysis revealed that the chicken soup supplemented with 2%O-0.56%P exhibited the lowest bitterness value and achieved the highest overall acceptability. These findings demonstrate that the synergistic effect of fat and sarcoplasmic protein effectively improves the flavor quality of chicken white soup, providing a theoretical basis for developing flavorful, tasty, and consumer-preferred chicken soup products.