Analysis of Skatole in Off-Flavor Beef by GC/MS

An extract from beef with a “medicinal” smell in sensory analysis was analyzed by using GC/MS, and skatole was identified as the cause of the off-flavor. A GC/MS method with selected ion monitoring (SIM) was established for quantitative and sensitive analysis of skatole in beef with a detection limit of 0.1μg/g. The recoveries of skatole from beef fortified at the levels of 0.5μg/g and 5.0μg/g were more than 95%.Skatole was detected in smelly beef in the range of 1.6-5.6μg/g. One sample among 30 commercial beef samples analyzed showed a level of 0.1μg/g.The threshold level of skatole for the off-flavor was evaluated as 0.2-0.3μg/g by sensory analysis.Based on the concentration of skatole in off-flavor beef, the origin of the off-flavor was concluded to be skatole.