Food research coffee flavors

Based on its ability to enhance solvating power by increasing fluid density, supercritical fluid extraction offers an attractive alternative for fractionation of fats and oils. It works by the phenomena of selective distillation and simultaneous extraction, as has been shown by many researchers [3-5]. While the use of supercritical fluids in the extraction of numerous biomaterials has been reported, its commercialization has been limited to the decaffeination of coffee and tea and to the extraction of flavors from hops and spices. The chemical complexity of most food ingredients and their tendency to react and degrade at elevated temperatures, emphasize the difficulties of supercritical solvent selection. Carbon dioxide is the preferred supercritical solvent (its properties have previously been cited [6]). 

We have applied a modified odor unit equation for evaluating aroma quality of the volatiles of Citrus sinensis OSBECK, ev. Shiroyanagi. Although the concept of odor units in flavor research was proposed by Rothe et al. (9) as a objective index of aroma quality, the concentration of individual components in a food (Fc in equation [1]) depends on the extraction efficiency of the essential oils. If the test sample is a solid, we can not calculate the exact concentration. Because the aroma oils, for example, may exist in different cells in the peels of citrus, we cannot take out only specified cells. It does not give a homogeneous concentration. Therefore, the odor units of individual aroma components in a food do not always give a constant value. Equation [1] should be applied to beverages such as apple juice, citrus juice, coffee, milk and so forth. The modified odor unit equation (75) for liquid and solid samples is shown as follows ... 

Quantification of aroma-impact components by isotope dilution assays (IDA) was introduced in food flavor research by Schieberle and Grosch (1987), when trying to take into account losses of analytes due to isolation procedures. The labeled compounds have to be synthesized, the suitable fragments have to be chosen, and calibration has to be effected. A quantitative determination of ppb levels of 3-damascenone (Section 5,D.38) in foods, particularly in roasted coffee (powder and brew), was developed by Sen et al. (1991a). Semmelroch et al. (1995) quantified the potent odorants in roasted coffee by IDA. Hawthorne et al. (1992) directly determined caffeine concentration in coffee beverages with reproducibility of about 5 % using solid-phase microextraction combined with IDA. Blank et al. (1999) applied this combined method to potent coffee odorants and found it to be a rapid and accurate quantification method. They also concluded that the efficiency of IDA could be improved by optimizing the MS conditions. 

For years researchers have investigated the sulfur compounds present in various foods. Cooked foods typically contain numerous sulfur compounds, especially heterocyclic compounds like thiazoles, thiophenes, thiazolines, etc. In 1986, Sha-hidi et al. (7) reported that 144 sulfur compounds had been identified in beef. Other heated food systems like bread, potato products, nuts, popcorn, and coffee also contain many sulfur compounds. Aliphatic thiols have been found in fruits, vegetables, dairy products etc., as well as in heated foods. No discussion of the occurrence of sulfur compounds in foods would be complete without mention of their major role in the various allium species. Indeed, more than half of the volatile compounds reported in garlic, onion, leek, and chive contain sulfur (2). Comprehensive reviews of the literature concerning the role of thiazoles, thiophenes, and thiols in food flavor through 1975 can be found in Maga s series of review articles (3-5). 

The absolute number of flavor compounds in a food further complicates flavor analysis. It is a rather simple, natural flavor that has less than 2(X) identified constituents. In fact those with less than 200 identified constituents probably have not been adequately researched. It is not uncommon for the browning flavors (e.g., meats, coffee, or chocolate) to be comprised of nearly a 1,000 volatile constituents. To date, over 7,000 volatile substances have been found in foods [3]. 

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