Solvent Desorption Dynamic Headspace Method for Diacetyl and Acetoin in Buttermilk

Evaluation of the synergistic olfactory effects of diacetyl, acetaldehyde, and acetoin in a yogurt matrix using odor threshold, aroma intensity, and electronic nose analyses

Despite intensive analyses of yogurt flavor, the synergistic effects of the key aroma compounds on sensory responses and their optimum concentration ranges remain less well-documented. This study investigated the odor thresholds, optimum concentration ranges, and perceptual actions of diacetyl, acetaldehyde, and acetoin in a yogurt matrix. Our results show that the odor thresholds of diacetyl, acetaldehyde, and acetoin in the yogurt matrix were 5.43, 15.4, and 29.0 mg/L, respectively, which were significantly higher than the corresponding values in water. The optimum diacetyl, acetaldehyde, and acetoin concentration ranges were found to be 6.65 to 9.12, 25.9 to 35.5, and 37.3 to 49.9 mg/L, respectively. In Feller's additive model, the addition of each compound led to a significant reduction in their odor threshold in the yogurt matrix, thus demonstrating the synergistic effects of the compounds. In the σ-τ plot, various concentrations of compounds were associated with various degrees of additive behavior with respect to the aroma intensity of the yogurt matrix, thus demonstrating the synergism among these compounds in increasing the overall aroma intensity. The optimal simultaneous concentration ratio of diacetyl:acetaldehyde:acetoin was determined to be 4.00:16.0:32.0 mg/L. The specific synergistic effects were also confirmed by an electronic nose analysis and aroma profile comparison. In summary, these 3 aroma compounds exhibited synergistic effects in a yogurt matrix, thus providing a theoretical basis for the enhancement of flavors in dairy products.

Solvent desorption dynamic headspace sampling of fermented dairy product volatiles

A method was developed based on solvent desorption dynamic headspace analysis for the identification and relative quantification of volatiles significant to the study of fermented dairy product aroma. Descriptions of applications of this method are presented including the measurement of diacetyl and acetoin in fermented milk, the evaluation of volatile-hydrocolloid interactions in dairy-based matrices, and the identification of volatiles in cheeses for canonical discriminative analysis. Advantages of this method include rapid analysis, minimal equipment investment, and the ability to analyze samples with traditional GC split/splitless inlet systems. Limitations of this method are that the sample must be in the liquid state and the inherent analytical limitation to those compounds that do not coelute with the solvent or solvent impurity peaks.

Choice and use of standards for dynamic headspace trapping and application to the analysis of the volatiles of baked potato

When attempting to quantify the volatile components of a food isolated by dynamic headspace trapping onto an adsorbent, the analyst has to select the most appropriate compounds to use as standards and at which stage of the analysis to add them. Factors to be borne in mind include the volatility of the standard, the response of the GC detector, and whether to add the standard to the sample or to the adsorbent trap. This chapter considers the issues and describes the application of one chosen method to the quantitation of the volatile components of baked potato.