ABSTRACT
Instrumental techniques are typically capable of better precision and accuracy than sensory evaluation techniques. Rigorous implies that the recoveries for the extraction step are known, instrumental response factors have been determined for each compound, and that an acceptable calibration procedure has been used. To obtain the most information on a flavor or other complex system, the chemical or physical data used to characterize it must be related to the sensory characteristics of interest and be as detailed, precise, and accurate as possible. For the analysis of both volatile and non-volatile flavor components, modern chromatographic techniques are commonly used and are capable of meeting these criteria. For complete characterization of a system, it may be necessary to combine the data from different analytical techniques. For example, Gas chromatography (GC) headspace, GC extraction, and high performance liquid chromatography analyses can each provide a profile of a different portion of a complex sample.
