The Effects of Sheep Tail Fat, Fat Level, and Cooking Time on the Formation of Nε-(carboxymethyl)lysine and Volatile Compounds in Beef Meatballs

This study aimed to determine the effects of fat type (sheep tail fat (STF) and beef fat (BF)), fat levels (10, 20, or 30%), and cooking time (0, 2, 4, and 6 min, dry heat cooking at 180 °C) on the carboxymethyl lysine (CML) content in meatballs. pH, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), and volatile compound analyses were also performed on the samples. The use of STF and the fat level had no significant effect on the pH value. The highest TBARS value was observed with the combination of a 30% fat level and STF. CML was not affected by the fat level. The highest CML content was determined in meatballs with STF at a cooking time of 6 min. In the samples cooked for 2 min, no significant difference was observed between STF and BF in terms of the CML content. STF generally increased the abundance of aldehydes. Aldehydes were also affected by the fat level and cooking time. A PCA provided a good distinction between groups containing STF and BF regardless of the fat level or cooking time. Pentanal, octanal, 2,4-decadienal, hexanal, and heptanal were positively correlated with CML.