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Flavor Chemistry and Odor Thresholds

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Flavor Chemistry

Abstract

Determination of odor thresholds of components in water solution was an early method adopted by many researchers for evaluating the relative contribution of food aroma/flavor components. Some more recent methods determine odor thresholds in air added to GC effluent from flavor volatile separation. Relatively simple methods are available for calculating thresholds in air from thresholds determined in water. Similar methods can be used for calculating oil and oil-water mixture thresholds from water threshold data. The ratio of a component’s concentration in the food to its water odor threshold value has been useful in determining relative aroma/flavor importance for mostly aqueous foods. Small variations in chemical nature and structure can lead to large changes in threshold values. Water threshold values are compared for various acetyl nitrogen heterocyclic compounds, alkylhydroxyfuranones and 4-alkoxyfuranone derivatives. Even the most careful studies can lead to errors in threshold measurements. Some examples are given where threshold determination errors were caused by minor amounts of very low threshold impurities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Agricultural Research Service Western Regional Research Center, US Department of Agriculture, Albany, CA, 94710, USA

    Ron G. Buttery

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  1. Ron G. Buttery
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Formerly of United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Albany, California, USA

    Roy Teranishi

  2. Formerly of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

    Emily L. Wick

  3. Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts, USA

    Emily L. Wick

  4. Formerly of United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, Maryland, USA

    Irwin Hornstein

  5. United States Agency for International Development, Washington, D.C., USA

    Irwin Hornstein

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© 1999 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Buttery, R.G. (1999). Flavor Chemistry and Odor Thresholds. In: Teranishi, R., Wick, E.L., Hornstein, I. (eds) Flavor Chemistry. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4693-1_30

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4693-1_30

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-7125-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-4693-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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