Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Re-investigation on odour thresholds of key food aroma compounds and development of an aroma language based on odour qualities of defined aqueous odorant solutions

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
European Food Research and Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Literature data on odour thresholds of volatile food constituents, and, in particular on their odour quality, may differ significantly. In order to obtain more reliable sensory data, the odour thresholds of eighty-four compounds previously characterised as key food odorants were re-evaluated and compared to literature results. In addition, the odour thresholds of ten odorants are reported here for the first time. On the basis of a distinct protocol, also the aroma attributes of the odorants were evaluated in order to define an aroma language, which can be used for specific purposes, e.g., training of panellists for GC-Olfactometry.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Nijssen LM, Visscher CA, Maarse A, Willemsen LC (2007) Volatile compounds in foods. TNO Nutrition and Food Research Institute, Zeist, The Netherlands

    Google Scholar 

  2. Rychlik M, Schieberle P, Grosch W (1998) Compilation of odor thresholds, odor qualities and retention indices of key food odorants. Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Lebensmittelchemie, Garching, Germany, ISBN 3-9803426-5-4

  3. Fazzalari FA (1978) Compilation of Odor and Taste Threshold Values. American Society of Testing and Materials, Philadelphia

    Google Scholar 

  4. Demole E, Enggist P, Ohloff G (1982) Helv Chim Acta 65:1785–1794

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Pittet AO, Rittersbacher P, Muralidhara R (1970) J Agric Food Chem 18:929–933

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Rothe M, Thomas B (1963) Z Lebensm Unters Forsch 119:302–310

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Buttery RG, Seifert RM, Guadagni DG, Ling LC (1971) J Agric Food Chem 19:524–529

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Keith ES, Powers JJ (1968) J Food Sci 33:213–218

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Larsen M, Poll L (1992) Z Lebensm Unters Forsch 195:120–123

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Tandon KS, Baldwin EA, Shewfelt RL (2000) Postharvest Biol Technol 20:261–268

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Buttery RG, Ling LC (1997) Lebensm Wiss Technol 30:109–110

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Schieberle P, Grosch W (1992) Flavour Fragr J 7:213–218

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Schieberle P, Grosch W (1991) Z Lebensm Unters Forsch 192:130–135

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Cullere L, Escudero A, Cacho J, Ferreira V (2004) J Agric Food Chem 52:1653–1660

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Ong PKC, Acree TE, Lavin EH (1998) J Agric Food Chem 46:611–615

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Bücking M, Steinhart H (2002) J Agric Food Chem 50:1529–1534

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Gassenmeier K, Schieberle P (1995) Z Lebensm Unters Forsch 201:241–248

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Buttery RG, Ling LC, Juliano BO, Turnbaugh JG (1983) J Agric Food Chem 31:823–826

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Blank I, Fischer K-H, Grosch W (1989) Z Lebensm Unters Forsch 189:426–433

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Schieberle P (1995) New developments in methods for analysis of volatile flavor compounds and their precursors. In: Gaonkar AG (ed) Characterization of food: emerging methods. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 403–431

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  21. ASTM Standard E679-04. ASTM Book of Standards 15: General products, chemical specialties, and end use products, vol 8. American Society of Testing and Materials, Philadelphia, USA, 2005, ISBN: 0803140517

  22. Guadagni DG, Buttery RG, Teranishi JG (1972) J Sci Food Agric 23:1435–1444

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Komarek D (2001) Key odorants in beer—influence of storage on the flavor stability. PhD thesis, TU Munich

  24. Semmelroch P, Grosch W (1996) J Agric Food Chem 44:537–543

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Schieberle P, Ofner S, Grosch W (1990) J Food Sci 55:193–195

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Flath RA, Black DR, Guadagni DG, McFadden WH, Schultz TH (1967) J Agric Food Chem 15:29–35

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Mulders JE (1973) Z Lebensm Unters Forsch 151:310–317

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Karagül-Yüceer Y, Vlahovich KN, Drake MA, Cadwallader KR (2003) J Agric Food Chem 51:6797–6801

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Larsen M, Poll L (1990) Z Lebensm Unters Forsch 191:129–131

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Blank I, Sen A, Grosch W (1992) Food Chem 43:337–343

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Buttery RG, Ling LC (1995) J Agric Food Chem 43:1878–1882

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Patton S (1964) Food Sci 29:679–680

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Schnabel K-O, Belitz H-D, von Ranson C (1988) Z Lebensm Unters Forsch 187:215–223

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Buttery RG, Black DR, Guadagni DG, Ling LC, Conolly G, Teranishi R (1974) J Agric Food Chem 22:773–777

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Amoore JE, Ventstrom D (1966) J Food Sci 31:118–128

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Ong PKC, Acree TE (1999) J Agric Food Chem 47:665–670

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Buttery RG, Seifert RM, Guadagni DG, Ling LC (1969) J Agric Food Chem 17:1322–1327

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Engel KH, Flath RA, Buttery RG, Mon TR, Ramming DW, Teranishi R (1988) J Agric Food Chem 36:549–553

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Cerny C, Grosch W (1993) Z Lebensm Unters Forsch 196:417–422

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Buttery RG, Guadagni DG, Ling LC, Seifert RM, Lipton W (1976) J Agric Food Chem 24:829–832

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Christlbauer M (2005) Aroma compounds of processed vegetables as modifiers of freshly prepared beef and pork gravy aromas. PhD thesis, TU Munich. German Research Centre for Food Chemistry, Garching, Germany, ISBN 3-938896-00-0

  42. Heiler C, Schieberle P (1997) Int Dairy J 7:659–666

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Mutti BS (2002) Aroma of freshly cooked potatoes. Influence of variety and storage as well as comparison with the aroma of dried potatoes (in German). PhD thesis, TU Munich, ISBN 3-934767-12-5

  44. Buttery RG, Seifert RM, Ling LC, Soderstrom EL, Ogawa JM, Turnbaugh JG (1982) J Agric Food Chem 30:1208–1211

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Pyysalo T, Suihko M, Honkanen E (1977) Lebensm Wiss Technol 10:36–39

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Buttery RG, Ling LC, Stern DJ (1997) J Agric Food Chem 45:837–843

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Audouin V, Bonnet F, Vickers ZM, Reineccius GA (2001) In: Leland, JV, Schieberle P, Buettner A, Acree TE (eds) Gas Chromatography Olfactometry. The State of Art. American Chemical Society, pp 156–171

  48. Schuh C, Schieberle P (2006) J Agric Food Chem 54:916–924

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. McGill AS, Hardy R, Burt JR, Gunstone FD (1974) J Sci Fd Agric 25:1477–1489

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Eriksson CE, Lundgren B, Vallentin K (1976) Chem Senses 2:3–15

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Masanetz C, Grosch W (1998) Flavour Fragr J 13:115–124

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. Kerler J, Grosch W (1996) J Food Sci 61:1271–1274

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. Wilson CW, Shaw PE, Knight RJ (1990) J Agric Food Chem 38:1556–1559

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  54. Buttery RG, Turnbaugh JG, Ling LC (1988) J Agric Food Chem 36:1006–1009

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  55. Mihara S, Masuda H (1988) J Agric Food Chem 36:1242–1247

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  56. Fritsch H, Schieberle P (2005) J Agric Food Chem 53:7544–7551

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  57. Wassermann AE (1966) J Food Sci 31:1005–1010

    Article  Google Scholar 

  58. Amoore JE, Forrester LJ, Pelosi P (1976) Chem Senses Flavor 2:17–25

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  59. Buttery RG, Teranishi R, Ling LC, Turnbaugh JG (1990) J Agric Food Chem 38:336–340

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  60. Takeoka GR, Flath RA, Mon TR, Teranishi R, Guentert M (1990) J Agric Food Chem 38:471–477

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  61. Buttery RG, Haddon WF, Seifert RM, Turnbaugh JG (1984) J Agric Food Chem 32:676–678

    Article  Google Scholar 

  62. Jezussek M (2002) Aroma generation during cooking of brown rice (Oryza sativa L.) and Pandanus amaryllifolis Roxb. leaves (in German). PhD thesis, TU Munich, ISBN 3-934767-73-7

  63. Kerscher R (2000) Animal species related aroma differences of heated meat (in German). PhD thesis, TU Munich, ISBN 3-934767-13-3

  64. Guadagni DG, Buttery RG, Harris J (1966) J Sci Fd Agric 17:142–144

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  65. Pino J, Torricella R, Örsi F (1986) Die Nahrung 30:783–790

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  66. Guadagni DG, Buttery RG, Okano S (1963) J Sci Fd Agric 14:761–765

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  67. Buttery RG, Guadagni DG, Ling LC (1978) J Agric Food Chem 26:791–793

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  68. Pyysalo H, Suihko M (1976) Lebensm Wiss Technol 9:371–376

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  69. Münch P, Schieberle P (1998) J Agric Food Chem 46:4695–4701

    Article  Google Scholar 

  70. Buettner A, Schieberle P (2001) J Agric Food Chem 49:2387–2394

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  71. Semmelroch P, Laskawy G, Blank I, Grosch W (1995) Flavour Fragr J 10:1–7

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  72. Schieberle P (1998) Z Lebensm Unters Forsch 193:558–565

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank all members of the German Research Centre for Food Chemistry and the Chair for Food Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, for their participation in the sensory analyses.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. German Research Centre for Food Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Lichtenbergstrasse 4, 85748, Garching, Germany

    Michael Czerny, Martin Christlbauer, Anja Fischer, Michaela Hammer, Noelia Moran Hernandez & Peter Schieberle

  2. Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Lichtenbergstrasse 4, 85748, Garching, Germany

    Monika Christlbauer, Michael Granvogl & Cornelia Hartl

Authors
  1. Michael Czerny
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Martin Christlbauer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Monika Christlbauer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Anja Fischer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Michael Granvogl
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Michaela Hammer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Cornelia Hartl
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Noelia Moran Hernandez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Peter Schieberle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Peter Schieberle.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Czerny, M., Christlbauer, M., Christlbauer, M. et al. Re-investigation on odour thresholds of key food aroma compounds and development of an aroma language based on odour qualities of defined aqueous odorant solutions. Eur Food Res Technol 228, 265–273 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-008-0931-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-008-0931-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation