Characterization of odorant compounds of mussels (Mytilus edulis) according to their origin using gas chromatography-olfactometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Gas chromatography-olfactometry consists of sniffing the effluent of a gas chromatograph and leads to the direct determination of potent odorants in f ood. GC-olfactometry and GC-MS were applied in order to identify volatile c ompounds, and to characterize potent odorants of cooked wild mussels and bo uchot mussels. Eighty-five volatiles were identified by GC-MS, among those the majority were identified for the first time in mussels. Using GC-olfact ometry, the main contributors of cooked mussels aroma were characterized. O f the 85 volatiles identified in the flavor, only 33 were odor-active and c ontribute to the overall aroma of mussels. Dimethyl disulfide (sulfury odor ) was the odorant the most differently perceived between the two extracts a nd seems to be characteristic of wild mussels. Combined CC-MS and CC-olfact ometry made it possible to point out odorants which actually contribute to the aroma of cooked mussels and those which showed typical dependence on th e origin of mussels. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science BN. All rights reserved.