Identification of Sensory Quality of Rapid Fermented Fish Using Electronic Nose

In order to shorten the production cycle of traditional fermented fish, cured fish was fermented by Lactobacillus plantarum and Staphylococcus xylosus. Considering sensory quality of products affected the acceptance of consumer, electronic nose (E-nose) and sensory evaluation by human taste panel were used to analysis fish flavor. The results of principal component analysis (PCA) indicated the flavor quality of rapid fermented fish was close to the traditional fermented fish, even though cured fish had more response value of sensor. When traditional fermented fish was acted as standard, rapid fermented fish located nearer accepted range than cured fish by analysis of Statistical Quality Control (SQC). The result was explained by sensory evaluation of human taste panel: only cured fish had strong fishy smell, peculiar flavor of salted fish, and little aroma; traditional fermented fish had thick aroma and a little bad smell for oil oxidation; rapid fermented fish had obvious aroma. The result indicated that rapid fermentation for production of traditional fish was possible. The differences of flavor among three groups of fish were distinguished by E-nose, same as sensory evaluation. So E-nose acted as a new method could be successfully used in aroma identification of foods.