Free versus droplet-bound aroma compounds in sparkling beverages

Abstract

The initial experience of a beverage's flavor after opening the bottle is created by a combination of the gas phase and droplet-bound odorants. However, most studies do not consider this combination, and focus on the odor-active components in the liquid or gas phase, separately. To cover this aspect, a filter from pyrolyzed polyacrylonitrile fiber was packed inside thermal desorption unit liner and used for trapping droplet-bound odorants. Additionally, polydimethylsiloxane coated thin-film was applied for extraction of gas-phase aroma. Following trapping/extraction, the devices were desorbed and compounds were separated using GC-MS. The odorants in commercial sparkling beverages were quantified immediately after opening the bottle to mimic real-life conditions of the consumer's experience of the flavor. The reported results provide a more comprehensive understanding of flavor perception in effervescent drinks by considering both gas and droplet phase.

Keywords: Droplet; Filtration; Flavor perception; Furfural (PubChem CID: 7362); Sample preparation; Sparkling beverage; Thin-film microextraction; citronellol (PubChem CID: 8842); ethyl caproate (PubChem CID: 31265); limonene (PubChem CID: 22311); linalool (PubChem CID: 6549); methional (PubChem CID: 18635); α–pinene (PubChem CID: 6654); γ–terpinene (PubChem CID: 7461).