ABSTRACT
Flavor perception is mainly related to the release in the gas phase of aroma compounds present in food and is of major importance for acceptability of foods by consumers. However, food products are very complex matrices because of their chemical composition and structure. The nature and the amount of the different components such as proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates greatly in‹uence aroma release and perception (Druaux and Voilley 1997; Guichard 2002). Understanding the behavior of aroma compounds in the food matrix and of the strength and nature of interactions between aroma compounds and ingredients of food matrix is therefore of major signi cance for improving the overall aroma and thus the quality of food products. The objective of this chapter is to give several physicochemical characteristics of aroma compounds and to discuss some of the main factors that in‹uence aroma binding and release in foods in order to better explain ‹avor perception.
