Fishy flavour in dairy products: II. The volatile compounds associated with fishy flavour in butterfat

Abstract

Summary: Constituents of a flavour concentrate from fishy butterfat were separated by gas chromatography on silicone oil and ‘Carbowax 400’ columns. Two fractions with distinct flavours were obtained, the one of oily flavour and containing n-hexanal, n-heptanal, hex-2-enal and heptan-2-one, the other of metallic flavour, containing a single carbonyl compound present in relatively small amount. It is considered that these compounds with the exception of heptan-2-one are mainly responsible for the characteristic fish-oil flavour.Other compounds isolated include propanal, n-pentanal, n-octanal, n-nonanal, n-decanal, acetone, pentan-2-one, nonan-2-one, undecan-2-one, acraldehyde, pent-2-enal, hept-2-enal, oct-2-enal, non-2-enal, hepta-2, 4-dienal, a compound resembling octa-2, 4-dienal, a compound with a mushroom flavour, and a compound that formed the 2, 4-dinitrophenylosazone of methylglyoxal.