Page 24 - Shimadzu Journal vol.3 Issue2

Flavor Release Evaluation

peaks which increased in intensity are marked with a green circles its fruity odor and is present in many fruits and alcoholic beverages
above them. Therefore, some flavors were released by destroying and is known to be found in apples and plums. The last example
or “chewing” the apple sarcocarp during the texture test. The compound Farnesene is an essential oil found on the coating of
increased peaks were determined to be alcohols and esters by a apples and is commonly used in flavoring food and drink.
mass spectrum library search.
Fig. 5 shows a comparison of two different apples with the first (A)
The texture component the apple was tested for was brittleness. being firm and crispy and the second (B) being soft and juicy. This
Mechanical characteristic curve of the apple by texture test are can be deduced by the sharper, larger first “chew” in the
shown in Fig. 4. During the texture test 5 different “chews” of the mechanical characteristic curve for apple species A. Subsequent
apple were tested in different sampling positions shown from the 5 “chews” two through five also indicates apple species A to be
peaks. The first peak expresses the texture characteristics. The more firm and crispy.
chromatograms in Fig. 3 show the cumulative aromas released
during the 5 “chews”. In addition to the textures being different the compounds released
were also different. Table 2 shows the compounds released in
Table 1 shows the compounds from the library search and the apple species B as well as the percent increase in these compounds
percent increase from the “chewing” process. The compounds with “chewing”. Apples species B contained additional compounds
released with the percent increase in concentration in parentheses 1) Butyl acetate and 8) p-Allylanisol not found in apple species A.
are: 1) 2-Methylbutyl acetate (96%), 2) sec-Butylcarbinol (16%), 3) p-Allylanisol is a natural organic, phenylpropene compound found
Ethyl hexanoate (108%), 4) n-Hexyl acetate (130%),5) n-Hexanol in herbs and used in preparation of fragrances. Also compounds 2)
(43%), 6) n-Hexyl butyrate (202%), 7) Hexyl 2-methylbutyrate sec-Butylcarbinol and 3) Ethyl hexanoate found in apples species A
(192%), 8) 6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-ol (58%), and 9) Farnesene were not found in apple species B. Thus the texture and flavor of
(264%). these two apples will be quite different.

Looking at the first example of these compounds, the In this application note the apple texture and flavor were determined
2-Methylbutyl acetate is listed as a food and flavor ingredient simultaneously by a “chewing” process. It was found that apples
according to Sigma-Aldrich and can be purchased as an additive to released mostly alcohols and esters. The flavor release evaluation kit
foods. The second compound sec-Butylcarbinol can be produced can be used and an effective tool for food development. The
during the distillation of alcohol and can be grouped with the fusel texture/flavor test can be performed on many different types of
oil compounds which are predominately C3, C4, and C5 aliphatic foods to copy that homemade cooking from mom.
alcohols. n-Hexyl acetate is an additive in many foods because of

Fig. 2 EZ Test Flavor Release Evaluation Kit

50