Re-investigation on odour thresholds of key food aroma compounds and development of an aroma language based on odour qualities of defined aqueous odorant solutions

Eur Food Res Technol (2008) 228:265273 DOI 10.1007/s00217-008-0931-x

ORIGINAL PAPER

Re-investigation on odour thresholds of key food aroma compounds and development of an aroma language based on odour qualities of dened aqueous odorant solutions

Michael Czerny Martin Christlbauer Monika Christlbauer Anja Fischer Michael Granvogl Michaela Hammer Cornelia Hartl Noelia Moran Hernandez Peter Schieberle

Received: 20 May 2008 / Revised: 10 July 2008 / Accepted: 17 July 2008 / Published online: 5 August 2008 Springer-Verlag 2008

Abstract Literature data on odour thresholds of volatile food constituents, and, in particular on their odour quality, may differ signicantly. In order to obtain more reliable sensory data, the odour thresholds of eighty-four compounds previously characterised as key food odorants were re-evaluated and compared to literature results. In addition, the odour thresholds of ten odorants are reported here for the rst time. On the basis of a distinct protocol, also the aroma attributes of the odorants were evaluated in order to dene an aroma language, which can be used for specic purposes, e.g., training of panellists for GC-Olfactometry.

Keywords Detection odour threshold

Recognition odour threshold Sensory evaluation

Aroma language

Introduction

Numerous studies performed in the past 50 years on the composition of volatile food constituents have led to the identication of close to 10,000 compounds up to now [1]. This number is still increasing, because research activities in the area of aroma research was and still is focused on the identication of all volatile food constituents by GCMS,

because it is believed that the whole set of volatiles present in a given food interacts with the human odorant receptors, thus generating a certain odour prole in the brain.

It may be true that the human odorant receptors are able to interact with each volatile organic compound, which is able to reach these receptor proteins located in the nasal cavity. However, it is also long-known that a certain dose (amount) of a given volatile compound is necessary to cause a receptor response. Thus, only the pattern of responses to those odorants able to cause a signal at the receptor level should nally create the overall aroma image in the brain.

It is still not possible to directly measure the absolute concentration of a volatile needed to interact at the human receptor...