To investigate the flavor changes in goat meat upon storage, the volatile components observed in goat meat after different storage periods were determined using gas chromatography–ion mobility spectrometry (GC–IMS). A total of 38 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were determined from the goat meat samples, including alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, esters, hydrocarbons, ethers, and amine compounds. 1-Hexanol, 3-Hydroxy-2-butanone, and Ethyl Acetate were the main volatile substances in fresh goat meat, and they rapidly decreased with increasing storage time and can be used as biomarkers for identifying fresh meat. When combined with the contents of total volatile basic–nitrogen (TVB-N) and the total numbers of bacterial colonies observed in physical and chemical experiments, the characteristic volatile components of fresh, sub-fresh, and spoiled meat were determined by principal component analysis (PCA). This method will help with the detection of fraudulent production dates in goat meat sales.

Tapered optical fiber-based surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) probes have emerged as promising miniaturized platforms for chemical and molecular sensing by integrating optical excitation, plasmonic enhancement, and Raman signal collection within a single fiber architecture. Their enhanced light–matter interaction, compact geometry, and remote interrogation capability make them particularly attractive for in situ sensing in confined and complex environments. This review systematically examines recent advances in tapered optical fiber SERS probes, covering enhancement mechanisms, taper fabrication, plasmonic hotspot engineering, and analytical applications. Particular emphasis is placed on how taper geometry and plasmonic nanostructure organization jointly influence sensing performance. Fabrication and hotspot-engineering strategies are critically compared in terms of sensitivity, reproducibility, stability, fabrication complexity, and scalability. Representative applications in biomedical analysis, food safety, and environmental monitoring are further evaluated. Despite these advances, practical implementation remains constrained by insufficient hotspot reproducibility, quantitative reliability in complex matrices, long-term stability and antifouling performance, as well as the limited scalability of current fabrication protocols. Future progress will require balancing analytical sensitivity with reproducibility, robustness, and real-sample compatibility, while advancing deterministic hotspot engineering, selective recognition interfaces, standardized performance evaluation, intelligent spectral analysis, and Lab-on-Fiber integration. Together, these developments could accelerate the transition of tapered optical fiber SERS from laboratory-scale demonstrations to field-deployable platforms for remote and in situ molecular sensing.