Headspace gas chromatography and sensory analyses of buckwheat stored under controlled atmosphere

The composition of volatile components in freshly-milled buckwheat flour pr oduced from seed stored under controlled atmospheres (97% N-2, 1.5% O-2 and 1.5% CO2) for 1 year was studied using capillary gas chromatography, mass spectrometry sniffing port analysis, and sensory evaluation. Twenty-five vo latiles were identified from over 100 compounds removed from the flour by a novel dynamic headspace technique and separated by capillary gas chromatog raphy. Eighteen odor-active regions were detected but none were characteris tic of the typical buckwheat flour aroma. The concentration of the major bu ckwheat volatiles decreased with storage of the seed under low O-2 and high CO2 levels. The content of two of the odor-active volatiles, hexyl acetate and 1-hexanol, however, increased up to 4 fold in samples stored under con trolled atmosphere for 60 weeks.