The Psychophysical Perception of the Key Odorants in Potato Chips

Rochelle, Madeleine Marie

The Psychophysical Perception of the Key Odorants in Potato Chips

Abstract

This research used sniff olfactometry (SO) to recreate the odor image of a potato chip from the olfactory responses to its most potent odorants. The thresholds for the key odorants (KO’s), methanethiol, 2-ethyl-3, 5-dimethylpyrazine, and methional, were determined for each of four subjects, along with their responses to the KO’s in mixtures. In binary mixtures, the equal odds ratios (EOR’s) defined as the ratio of the concentrations of two of the odorants in a mixtures at which they were detected at equal frequency was determined along with the tertiary odds ratios (TOR’s) defined as the ratio of the three odorants at which all three components were detected at equal frequency in tertiary mixtures. The configural odds ratios (COR’s) were determined from the tertiary solution of the KO’s that subjects identified as most like potato chips. The results found large variation in thresholds, EOR’s, and TOR’s, but remarkable similarity in COR’s indicating that the potato chip odor image is derived from the same KO composition for different subjects even though they are not having the same sensory sensation.

Date Issued

2017-08-30

Keywords

Food science; Odor Image; Odor Mixtures; Olfaction; Potato Chips; Sniff Olfactometry

Committee Chair

Acree, Terry Edward

Committee Member

Liaukonyte, Jurate

Degree Discipline

Food Science and Technology

Degree Name

M.S., Food Science and Technology

Degree Level

Master of Science

Types

dissertation or thesis