Rapid and Visual Favor Analysis Using Gas Chromatography-Ion Mobility Spectrometry (GC-IMS) in Meat Products: Research Progress and Future Trends

The flavor profile of meat and its processed products is highly volatile and subject to significant changes during storage, processing, and transportation. It is therefore crucial to monitor the flavor of meat to evaluate sensory quality and protect consumer health and safety. Gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) has become increasingly popular due to its advantages of being nondestructive, rapid, and capable of trace detection. The analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using this technique is continuously applied in the assessment of food freshness, origin traceability, and adulteration detection. GC-IMS has emerged as a promising tool for accurate monitoring and characterization of VOCs in food, particularly in the field of meat flavor analysis. Its applications include meat product authentication, adulteration detection, processing and storage-related flavor changes, and freshness monitoring. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the working principle of GC-IMS and its applications in meat flavor analysis, while exploring future trends and potential limitations associated with the technique.