Characterization of hay-like off-odor in basil samples after various processing and strategies for reducing the off-odor

Jiaqi Liang; Nouran Shalaby; Marina Rigling; Tim Wagner; Julia Heimbach; Alena Fries; Reinhard Kohlus; Yanyan Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2022.112080

Characterization of hay-like off-odor in basil samples after various processing and strategies for reducing the off-odor

Food Res Int. 2022 Dec;162(Pt B):112080. doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2022.112080. Epub 2022 Oct 28.

Authors

Jiaqi Liang¹, Nouran Shalaby², Marina Rigling³, Tim Wagner⁴, Julia Heimbach⁵, Alena Fries⁶, Reinhard Kohlus⁷, Yanyan Zhang⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Flavor Chemistry, Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 12, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany. Electronic address: jiaqi.liang@uni-hohenheim.de.
² Department of Flavor Chemistry, Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 12, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany. Electronic address: n.shalabyy@gmail.com.
³ Department of Flavor Chemistry, Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 12, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany. Electronic address: marina.rigling@uni-hohenheim.de.
⁴ Department of Flavor Chemistry, Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 12, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany. Electronic address: t.wagner@uni-hohenheim.de.
⁵ Department of Process Engineering and Food Powders, Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology, University of Hohenheim, Garbenstraße 25, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany. Electronic address: julia.heimbach@uni-hohenheim.de.
⁶ Department of Flavor Chemistry, Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 12, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany. Electronic address: alena-fries@t-online.de.
⁷ Department of Process Engineering and Food Powders, Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology, University of Hohenheim, Garbenstraße 25, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany. Electronic address: R.Kohlus@uni-hohenheim.de.
⁸ Department of Flavor Chemistry, Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 12, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany. Electronic address: yanyan.zhang@uni-hohenheim.de.

PMID: 36461330
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2022.112080

Abstract

Hay-like off-odor present in dried basil products results in low consumer acceptance. To understand the hay-like off-odor formation in processing of basil products, identification of hay-like off-odor in thawed, air-dried and spray-dried basil samples was investigated by means of a trained human panel (n = 10) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-olfactometry. 3-Methylnonane-2,4-dione (3-MND) was identified in all basil samples to be responsible for the hay-like off-odor. To reduce the hay-like off-odor in dried basil products, the effect of light, oxygen, and temperature on the 3-MND formation was studied during thawing, air drying and spray drying processes. In the thawing process, darkness and nitrogen protection significantly reduced the 3-MND formation. With extending thawing time, no significant increase on the concentration of 3-MND was observed after 60 min in the darkness and under nitrogen. In the designed spray-drying setup, nitrogen protection could further alleviate the 3-MND formation whereas the elevated drying temperature (40-100 °C) boosted the 3-MND formation in air-drying processing. Collectively, these findings indicated that darkness, nitrogen protection and low temperature were considered as critical processing parameters to minimize the generation of hay-like compound 3-MND in dried basil products.

Keywords: 3-Methylnonane-2,4-dione; Basil; Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry–olfactometry; Off-odor; Sensory analysis.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Humans
Nitrogen
Ocimum basilicum*
Odorants
Olfactometry
Spray Drying

Substances

Nitrogen