Key odorants
Encyclopedia
A Key odorant is a volatile
compound that is present in concentrations higher than their specific flavor threshold.
Key odorants are these compounds that you will effectively smell
. Food
products contain a lot of different volatile
compounds, odorants. Some of them are present in such small concentration
s that they are not perceivable by the human nose
. Those odorants do not contribute to the overall aroma of a product. Key odorants on the other hand are essential for the overall aroma of the product.
Key odorants can be identified by comparing the concentrations of the odorants with their respective flavor threshold. The resulting unit is the odor activity value (OAV). Every key odorant has a OAV higher than 1. Values lower than 1 are not perceived.
Volatility (chemistry)
In chemistry and physics, volatility is the tendency of a substance to vaporize. Volatility is directly related to a substance's vapor pressure. At a given temperature, a substance with higher vapor pressure vaporizes more readily than a substance with a lower vapor pressure.The term is primarily...
compound that is present in concentrations higher than their specific flavor threshold.
Key odorants are these compounds that you will effectively smell
Smell
Smell may refer to:* Olfaction, sense of smell, the ability of humans and other animals to perceive odors* Odor, the percept resultant from the sense of smell...
. Food
Food
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
products contain a lot of different volatile
Volatility (chemistry)
In chemistry and physics, volatility is the tendency of a substance to vaporize. Volatility is directly related to a substance's vapor pressure. At a given temperature, a substance with higher vapor pressure vaporizes more readily than a substance with a lower vapor pressure.The term is primarily...
compounds, odorants. Some of them are present in such small concentration
Concentration
In chemistry, concentration is defined as the abundance of a constituent divided by the total volume of a mixture. Four types can be distinguished: mass concentration, molar concentration, number concentration, and volume concentration...
s that they are not perceivable by the human nose
Human nose
The visible part of the human nose is the protruding part of the face that bears the nostrils. The shape of the nose is determined by the ethmoid bone and the nasal septum, which consists mostly of cartilage and which separates the nostrils...
. Those odorants do not contribute to the overall aroma of a product. Key odorants on the other hand are essential for the overall aroma of the product.
Key odorants can be identified by comparing the concentrations of the odorants with their respective flavor threshold. The resulting unit is the odor activity value (OAV). Every key odorant has a OAV higher than 1. Values lower than 1 are not perceived.