Abstract
To evaluate the contributions of 3-methylbutanal, 2-methylbutanal, 2-methylpropanal, and benzaldehyde in cheddar cheese models, the threshold values, optimal concentration ranges, and perceptual actions of these compounds were determined at various concentrations. The thresholds for 3-methylbutanal, 2-methylbutanal, 2-methylpropanal, and benzaldehyde in the cheese matrix were 150.31, 175.39, 150.66, and 500.21 μg/kg, respectively, which were significantly higher than the corresponding values in water. The optimal concentration ranges of these aldehydes were determined as 150–300, 175–325, 150–350, and 500–1500 μg/kg, respectively. Based on the results of the threshold method and Feller’s model, five binary mixtures were found to have synergistic effects, and only the pair of 2-methylpropanal and benzaldehyde was determined to have a masking effect. In addition, the synergistic olfactory effects between the four ternary mixtures and the quaternary mixture of these aldehydes were also assesSsed using Feller’s model. In a σ-τ plot analysis, synergism was usually observed when these odor pairs were at their threshold levels. In summary, the results suggested that perceptual interactions among these aldehydes exist in a cheese model variably with different concentrations and threshold ratios. This study will be helpful to a further understanding of the nutty aroma and improving the aroma quality of cheddar cheese.
Highlights
Cheddar is a hard cheese produced by the gelatinization of milk with rennet, followed by acidification and concentration [1]
An exception to this finding was benzaldehyde for which the threshold values were of the same magnitude in the cheese matrix
(500.21 μg/kg) and water (350 μg/kg). These results are consistent with those of studies on beer aromas performed by Meilgaard et al [28] in which the odor threshold values of most of the tested volatile compounds were higher in beer than in water
Summary
Cheddar is a hard cheese produced by the gelatinization of milk with rennet, followed by acidification and concentration [1]. Many previous studies have reported that some of these substances, such as methyl pyrazine, 2,5-dimethyl pyrazine, 2,6-dimethyl pyrazine, trimethyl-pyrazine [7], 2-methylbutanal, 3-methylbutanal, and 2-methylpropanal contribute to the nutty flavor of cheese. We previously determined that benzaldehyde contributes to the nutty flavor of cheese, as perceived by Chinese consumers [12]. Methods to evaluate aroma synergy mainly include the threshold method, Feller’s additive model, OAV determination, and the σ-τ diagram method [20]. We have previously used Feller’s additive model and σ-τ diagrams to study the synergistic effect of key aroma compounds in traditional Chinese cheese [27]. We first evaluated the odor thresholds and determined the suitable concentration ranges of 3-methylbutanal, 2-methylbutanal, 2-methylpropanal, and benzaldehyde in a cheese matrix. The phenomenon of synergism provides additional theoretical support for techniques to improve the flavor quality of cheddar cheese
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