VOLATILE COMPOUNDS OF REHYDRATED FRENCH BEANS, BELL PEPPERS AND LEEKS.1. FLAVOR RELEASE IN THE MOUTH AND IN 3 MOUTH MODEL SYSTEMS

Flavour release from three rehydrated vegetables: French beans, red be ll peppers, and leeks, was studied directly in the mouth of 12 assesso rs (oral vapour) and in three mouth model systems; purge-and-trap, and dynamic headspace with and without mastication. Volatile compounds we re analysed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, which resulte d in 30, 52 and 42 identified compounds in French beans, bell, peppers , and leeks, respectively. Propanal, 2-methylpropanal, 2- and 3-methyl butanal, pentanal, hexanal, 2-pentenal, trans-2-hexenal, 2-heptenal, 2 -butanone, and 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one were present in each of them. F lavour release from the three vegetables in model system 'dynamic head space and mastication' did not differ significantly from release in th e mouth. Peak areas of volatiles released in the mouth had larger coef ficients of variance than the ones released in the model system. Altho ugh assessors released volatile compounds with different efficiencies, they showed a statistically consistent efficiency in flavour release across the vegetables.