RAPID ANALYSIS OF VOLATILE FLAVOUR COMPOUNDS USING THE MS NOSE™

Typically, for analysis of volatile compounds in the food industry, gas-chromatography coupled with mass-spectrometry is the chosen method. However, collection of volatile flavours using an equilibrium-based method often requires both long sample collection and analysis times. Because a consumer generally does not spend 20 minutes chewing a piece of food, flavour profiles generated from these collection times cannot be used to approximate the aroma that is perceived by the consumer as the food is eaten. A better approximation is obtained using breath-by-breath analysis using the MS Nose™. The MS Nose™ measures volatiles in expired air from the nose during eating, which enables the stimulus signal close to the olfactory receptors to be monitored in real time. This method also provides information on the effect of salivary components/oral mucosa on flavour release and the types of compounds responsible for aftertaste in a food product. We show real time release data of the main volatiles in kiwifruit at different stages of ripeness. Together with information on the odour-active components of kiwifruit flavour, these data lead to a better understanding of the flavour delivered to and perceived by the consumer.