ABSTRACT
I. Where to start ............................................................................................... 56 II. Sample preparation ..................................................................................... 57 III. Identifying character-impact components ............................................... 59
A. Olfactometry ......................................................................................... 60 B. Multivariate analysis ........................................................................... 61 C. Verify your hypothesis: recombination studies
and odor units ...................................................................................... 63 IV. Application examples.................................................................................. 66
A. Fermented pickle flavor...................................................................... 66 B. Malodor in beet sugar......................................................................... 70 C. Application of MVA in resolving a flavor problem
with cheese powder............................................................................. 74 V. Learning from failures ................................................................................ 77 References .............................................................................................................. 77
Two common problems confront flavor chemists: (1) determining the cause of an off-flavor in a food or beverage product, and (2) identifying the chemical(s) responsible for a desirable flavor in a natural product or a rival product. The chemicals that provide the principal sensory identity of a product are commonly referred to as character-impact chemicals. A relatively simple mixture of just a few chemicals often defines a food’s characteristic flavor.
