Challenges in relating concentrations of aromas and tastes with flavor features of foods

ABSTRACT

Flavor sensations in food are highly influenced by the aroma and taste compounds. Reviewing the extensive literature of recent years in this field has shown that the reconstitution of flavor based on aroma and taste compounds poses numerous problems. These are of different nature and include among others (a) chemical transformations among these compounds, (b) changes in the concentrations of the compounds responsible for the perceived flavor, (c) interactions among the chemical compounds that enhance or reduce a specific flavor sensation, and finally, (d) the complexity of the different food matrices and its influence in the flavor perception. Another difficulty that flavor scientists must face is how to properly model and visualize the complex relationships existing between the chemical composition of foods and the flavor perception. These problems have repercussions on the reconstitution of the flavor signature of food based on the natural concentrations of its key aroma and taste compounds. Therefore, the main aim of this review is to deal with all these issues to propose potential solutions for a robust transformation in a science-based quality approach.

KEYWORDS:

• Odorants
• tastants
• sensory analysis
• instrumental analysis
• multivariate analysis

Acknowledgment

N.N. acknowledges the Ministry of Culture, Education and University Planning of the Xunta de Galicia for her postdoctoral contract.

Funding

This work was granted by EU FEDER and Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Ref. AGL2011–30378-C03–01) funds.