8/18/2019 The Aroma of Frying Bacon

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AROMA CHEMISTRY

THE AROMA OF FRYING BACONWHY DOES BACON SMELL SO GOOD?

©COMPOUND INTEREST 2014 - WWW.COMPOUNDCHEM.COMPICTURE: Renee Comet for NCI, Public Domain

C

150

The approximate number of volatile organic compoundsdetected in the analysis of the aroma of fried bacon. Thesewere mainly hydrocarbons, aldehydes, ketones and alcohols,but nitrogen-containing compounds such as pyridines andpyrazines, and oxygen-containing furans were also present.

Nitrogen containing aromatic compounds suchas pyridines & pyrazines have a difering odourindependently, but their presence in combination withother compounds is likely to be a major contributorto the characteristic odour of bacon.

NITROGEN-CONTAINING COMPOUNDS

OTHER COMPOUNDS

Compounds such as furans and pyridines, which

have already been isolated as causing meaty aromasin other meats, are also present in bacon, and alsocontribute to its smell.

HYDROCARBONS

ALDEHYDES

ALCOHOLS

KETONES

NITROGEN-CONTAINING AROMATICS

OXYGEN-CONTAINING AROMATICS

OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS

35%

31%

18%

10%

2.1%

1.3%

2.6%

VOLATILES

N

N   N

N

2,5-DIMETHYLPYRAZINE

2-ETHYL-3,5-DIMETHYLPYRAZINE

O

2-PENTYLFURAN

WHEN HEATED, SUGARS IN BACON REACT WITH AMINO ACIDS, KNOWN AS THE MAILLARD

REACTION. THIS, ALONG WITH THERMAL BREAKDOWN OF FATS, LEADS TO THE PRODUCTION

OF THE COMPOUNDS THAT IN TURN CAUSE COOKING BACON’S AROMA. THESE COMPOUNDS

CAN BE DETECTED USING GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY COMBINED WITH MASS SPECTROMETRY.

SOURCE: ‘A STUDY OF THE AROMA OF BACON & FRIED PORK LOIN’,M. TIMÓN ET AL, 2004, J SCI FOOD AGRIC 84:825-831