Identification of Aroma Compounds and Their Chemical/Biochemical
Formation in Foods
The Complexity of Food Aroma: Emphasize that food aroma is
rarely due to a single compound but rather a complex mixture of volatile
organic compounds (VOCs). The unique profile of these compounds,
their concentrations, and their interactions contribute to the overall
flavor perception.
Sources of Aroma Compounds:
Naturally Occurring: These are inherent to the raw food material.
Examples include:
o Fruits: Esters (fruity notes), terpenes (citrusy, resinous).
o Vegetables: Aldehydes, alcohols, sulfur-containing
compounds (e.g., allicin in garlic).
o Spices: Terpenoids, phenols, aldehydes (e.g., eugenol in
cloves, vanillin in vanilla).
o Dairy: Short-chain fatty acids, ketones, aldehydes (e.g.,
diacetyl in butter).
o Meat and Seafood: Aldehydes, ketones, sulfur compounds,
amines.
Formed During Processing: Chemical and biochemical reactions
during cooking, fermentation, drying, etc., generate new aroma
compounds. Examples include:
o Maillard Reaction: Reaction between reducing sugars and
amino acids during heating, producing a vast array of flavor
compounds (pyrazines, melanoidins – roasted, nutty, caramel
notes).
o Lipid Oxidation: Breakdown of unsaturated fatty acids
leading to aldehydes, ketones, and alcohols (rancid, grassy
notes if uncontrolled, but can contribute positively in some
contexts).
o Enzymatic Reactions: Enzymes present in food can catalyze
the formation of aroma compounds (e.g., lipoxygenases
producing volatile aldehydes and ketones in fruits and
vegetables; microbial enzymes in fermentation).
o Fermentation: Microorganisms metabolize carbohydrates
and other substrates, producing alcohols, esters, acids, and
other flavor-active compounds (e.g., ethanol, lactic acid,
various esters in fermented beverages and foods).
Techniques for Identifying Aroma Compounds:
Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS):
Separation of volatile compounds based on their boiling points and
interaction with a stationary phase, followed by identification
based on their mass-to-charge ratio. This is a cornerstone
technique.
Solid-Phase Microextraction (SPME): Extraction of volatile
compounds from the food matrix onto a coated fiber, followed by
direct injection into GC-MS.
Headspace Analysis: Sampling the volatile compounds present in
the headspace above a food sample, providing information about
the aroma as perceived.
Olfactometry (GC-O): Coupling GC with a human sensory
panelist who sniffs the eluting compounds to identify those with
odor activity. This helps determine which compounds are actually
important to the overall aroma.
High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Mass
Spectrometry (HPLC-MS): While primarily used for non-volatile
compounds, it can be relevant for identifying precursors or
degradation products of aroma compounds.
