Categorization of Thai Fish Sauce Based on Aroma Characteristics

Sensory descriptive analysis was performed on 52 Thai fish sauce samples by 15 trained panelists, with an intention to explore the aroma profiles and to correlate with their total nitrogen (TN) contents, which is conventionally used as a general standard for commercial product grading. Thai fish sauce aroma characteristics could be exemplified through eight descriptive attributes. Sweet, meaty and cheesy odors presented overall characteristics of Thai fish sauce, while salty and anchovy-like odors were noticeably perceived due to their high intensity in fish sauce. Aroma intensity of three attributes including sour, shrimp paste-like and fishy odors could categorize Thai fish sauce samples into two groups, i.e., high-TN and low-TN groups. This categorization was also observed when rating scores of the intensity of these eight odor attributes were applied on principal component analysis (PCA). Moreover, total volatile basic-nitrogen and pH of the samples were applied on PCA to better explain the contribution of aroma attributes to fish sauce products. Practical Applications Thailand is a major producer of fish sauce; hence, varieties of product qualities are available in the market. Generally, the products are graded in accordance to its total nitrogen (TN) content. However, manufacturers could distinguish the product quality based on its aroma profile. On the other hand, prices of products are based on TN and their characteristic aroma that consumers can perceive. The finding in this study would be applicable to fish sauce quality standardization based on aroma profiles that are correlated to conventional TN grading, as well as conservation of product authenticity.