Evaluation of important odorants in foods by dilution techniques

Dilution techniques, like aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA) and static headspace analysis and olfactometry (SHA-O), were applied to analyze food flavors. AEDA of soybean oil led to the identification of butane-2,3-dione and 3-methylnonane-2,4-dione as the most important odorants, which mainly c aused the "butter-like" "and beany" off-flavors which were formed during st orage of the oil in the presence of light. AEDA and SHA-O were also applied to fresh tomatoes and tomato paste. Due to their high flavor dilution (FD) -factors, (E)-beta-damascenone, acetic acid, methional, 4-hydroxy-2, 5-dime thyl-3(2H) -furanone, 3-hydroxy-4, 5-dimethyl-2(5H)-furanone (sotolon) and eugenol were the most important odorants in both samples. Differences in th e FD-factors were found for (Z)-3-hexenal, which was the most important com pound in fresh tomatoes, but without significance for tomato paste. After q uantification by isotope dilution assays 15 compounds in concentration leve ls equal to those in tomato paste were dissolved in water. As the aroma of this mixture was very close to that of the original, the conclusion was dra wn, that all of the odorants contributing to the aroma of tomato paste had been detected by the application of AEDA and SHA-O.