Influence of Composition (CO2 and Sugar) on Aroma Release and Perception of Mint-Flavored Carbonated Beverages

• Published in: Journal of agricultural and food chemistry Vol. 57; no. 13; pp. 5891 - 5898
• Main Authors: Saint-Eve, Anne, Déléris, Isabelle, Aubin, Elodie, Semon, Etienne, Feron, Gilles, Rabillier, Jean-Marc, Ibarra, Dominique, Guichard, Elisabeth, Souchon, Isabelle
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 08.07.2009
• Subjects: analysis; Aroma and flavouring agent industries; aroma release; Biological and medical sciences; carbon dioxide; Carbon Dioxide - analysis; carbonated beverages; Carbonated Beverages - analysis; Chemical Phenomena; flavorings; Flavors and Aromas/Chemosensory Perception; food composition; Food engineering; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; in vitro studies; in vivo studies; Life Sciences; Mentha; Menthol; mint; Non alcoholic beverage industries and mineral waters; nose; odor compounds; Odorants; Odorants - analysis; odors; Olfactory Perception; smell; soft drinks; Sucrose; Sucrose - analysis; sugar content; volatile compounds; Volatilization; nose space; Soft drink; flavor compounds; release; sensory analysis; Mint; Spice; Sensory analysis; Flavor; Carbonated beverage; Nose; Perception; Chemical composition; Aroma; Release; Sugar; FLAVOR COMPOUNDS; SENSORY ANALYSIS; SOFT DRINK; NOSE SPACE; RELEASE
• ISSN: 0021-8561; 1520-5118; 1520-5118
• DOI: 10.1021/jf900542j

The aim of the present work was to identify and quantify physical mechanisms responsible for in-nose aroma release during the consumption of mint-flavored carbonated beverages in order to better understand how they are perceived. The effect of two composition factors (sugar and CO2) was investigated on both the sensory and physicochemical properties of drinks by studying in vitro and in vivo aroma release. Sensory results revealed that the presence of CO2 increased aroma perception regardless of the sugar content. In agreement with volatility parameters, in vivo measurements showed that carbonated drinks released a greater quantity of aroma compounds in the nose space than non-carbonated ones. CO2 seemed thus to induce large modifications of the physicochemical mechanisms responsible for the aroma release and flavor perception of soft drinks. Moreover, sugar content seemed to have an impact (increase) on aroma perception only in the case of non-carbonated beverages. Sensory interactions were thus observed, in particular, between sweet and aroma perceptions. For carbonated beverages, sugar content had an impact only on aroma release, but not on their perception.