Effect of volatiles and their concentration on perception of tomato descriptors

Coarse chop partially deodorized tomato puree was spiked with 1 to 3 levels of individual food-grade volatiles, reported to contribute to tomato flavor or volatile mixes and presented to a trained descriptive panel for flavor analysis in 2 different years. Six to eight panelists rated 9 aroma, 8 taste, and 1 aftertaste descriptors on a 15-cm unstructured line scale. Panelists detected significant differences (P less than or equal to 0.15) in concentration for various individual aroma compounds for a range of descriptors. Various descriptors also had correlations with levels of individual volatiles, including acetaldehyde, linalool, citral, trans-2-trans-4-decadienal, furaneol, 1-octen-3-one, and benzaldehyde. Of the combined volatile mixes in either year 2000 or 2001, spiked levels of the green mix (including with isobutylthiazole) resulted in increased perception of overall green and vine aromas as well as decreased perception of floral aroma, sweet taste, and overall aftertaste. The earthy mix resulted in increased perception of vine, earthy, and musty aromas as well as sweet taste, and decreased perception of overall and sour tastes. The fruity mix increased perception of overall, sweet tomato, tropical, and floral aromas as well as sweet, tropical, fruity, and overall aftertastes. The fruity mix also decreased green and musty aromas as well as sour and ripe tomato tastes. Principle component analysis (PCA) revealed that spiking with earthy and green mixes and 1-penten-3-one were drivers for high loadings on the earthy and green descriptors, whereas the fruity mixes, furaneol, beta-ionone, benzaldehyde, and 2-phenylethanol were drivers for high loadings on sweet tomato and floral aromas.