ANALYSIS OF STRAWBERRY FLAVOR - DISCRIMINATION OF AROMA TYPES BY QUANTIFICATION OF VOLATILE COMPOUNDS

Over a period of 3 years, the essential volatile compounds of several strawberry varieties were analysed by gas chromatography, gas chromato graphy-olfactometry and mass spectrometry. In general, a strong variab ility in the dependence of the amount of these compounds on the ripeni ng stage, climate and location was found, nevertheless, the key compou nds of the aroma showed typical, genetically determined basic patterns . The quantification of the key aroma compounds in cultivated and wild strawberries resulted in a definition of aroma types which correspond ed with the sensory evaluation. These aroma types can be used to estab lish a criterion for the selection of quality in strawberry breeding.