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The volatile compounds of salmon fillets smoked according to four smoked generation techniques (smoldering, thermostated plates, friction, and liquid smoke) were investigated. The main odor-active compounds were identified by gas chromatography coupled with olfactometry and mass spectrometry. Only the odorant volatile compounds detected by at least six judges (out of eight) were identified as potent odorants. Phenolic compounds and guaiacol derivatives were the most detected compounds in the olfactometric profile whatever the smoking process and could constitute the smoky odorant skeleton of these products. They were recovered in the aromatic extracts of salmon smoked by smoldering and by friction, which were characterized by 18 and 25 odor-active compounds, respectively. Furannic compounds were more detected in products smoked with thermostated plates characterized by 26 odorants compounds. Finally, the 27 odorants of products treated with liquid smoke were significantly different from the three others techniques applying wood pyrolysis because pyridine derivatives and lipid oxidation products were perceived in the aroma profile.

The odorant volatile compounds of raw salmon and smoked salmon have been investigated by two gas chromatography-olfactometry methods (frequency detection and odorant intensity) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. After simultaneous steam distillation-solvent extraction with diethyl ether and the recovery of the aromatic extract in ethanol, qualitative olfactometric characterization and identification followed by a quantitative assessment of the odorant volatile compounds were carried out. The origin of many odorant compounds of smoked salmon can be attributed to wood smoke. Another part of smoked salmon aroma is due either to the odorant compounds of the raw fish flesh or to an evolution of fish flesh aroma thanks to the smoking process conditions. Forty-nine odorant compounds have been identified in fresh salmon and 74 in smoked salmon. Carbonyl compounds, such as heptanal or (E,Z)-2,6-nonadienal, show a high detection frequency and odorant intensity in unsmoked fish, giving the flesh its typical fishy odor. For smoked salmon, phenolic compounds, such as cresol or guaiacol, and furanic compounds seem to be responsible for the smoked odor.