Abstract:Old duck soup combines traditional flavor with consumption convenience and holds high economic value in the ready-to-eat food market. However, its quality evaluation still lacks multidimensional technical support, and a systematic assessment standard has not yet been established. In this study, commercial old duck soup samples from three brands (WJ, WH, and SC) were analyzed using a colorimeter, electronic tongue, electronic nose, texture analyzer, and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) to systematically investigate differences in color, taste, flavor, texture characteristics, and volatile compound composition. Correlation and principal component analyses were further applied to construct a comprehensive evaluation model for the edible quality of old duck soup. The color difference results showed that the yellowness (b* value) of WH (22.58) and SC (22.12) was significantly higher than that of WJ (19.39). Electronic tongue analysis indicated that WH exhibited the highest umami response value (7.09). Texture analysis revealed that the duck meat in SC had the greatest hardness (7136.64 g) and chewiness (2709.66 g). GC–MS combined with odor activity value (OAV) analysis showed that 2-methyl-3-hepten-2-one and trans-2,4-decadienal were the major odor-active compounds contributing to aroma. Sensory evaluation demonstrated that WH achieved the highest score (78.67), significantly exceeding the other two groups (P<0.05). Correlation and principal component analyses indicated that color, mouthfeel, aldehyde compounds, saltiness, and elasticity were the key indicators influencing the edible quality of old duck soup. Based on these findings, a comprehensive evaluation equation (F= 0.50F? +0.50F?) was established, with the calculated overall score of WH (0.55) being the highest. The comprehensive evaluation system established in this study effectively simplified the detection indices and provided a convenient and efficient quality assessment method for industrial production.