The effect of refluxing on the aromas of Valencia aqueous orange essences was determined through analysis by GC, MS, Osme, and by a descriptive panel. The strengths and descriptions of volatiles were investigated to determine if differences in essence aroma character and intensity existed. During production, 1 sample was subjected to reflux conditions and contained 16.2% ethanol. The other sample had not been refluxed and contained 6% ethanol. The aroma activity of volatiles was measured by Osme, a method of gas chromatography / olfactometry developed at Oregon State University. The majority of aroma active peaks were found to be present in the reflux and no reflux aqueous orange essence samples. Octanal, linalool, ethyl butanoate and 2 unknowns were the components with strongest aroma activities in both samples. Descriptive analysis was conducted with 7 trained panelists from the Food Science and Technology Department at Oregon State University. Following 12 training sessions, initial testing indicated overall intensity was the major separating attribute of essences. After 6 additional training sessions and adjustment of concentrations to yield essences of approximate equal strength, testing indicated there were no significant differences between samples. Osmegrams, GC FID chromatograms, and descriptive analysis indicated the effect of reflux produced an essence that was more concentrated. Although refluxing concentrated individual volatiles to different levels, character differences other than those associated with concentration were minimal. / Graduation date: 1996

Heat treated orange juice, both pasteurized and concentrate, are being increasingly consumed in the U.S. Orange juice is primarily heat treated to increase its shelf life, by curbing the growth of microorganisms; and to inactivate pectin methylesterase, which demethylates pectin and leads to cloud loss in the juice. However, because of heat processing, orange juice undergoes undesirable flavor changes that decrease its acceptability to consumers. The objectives of this study were to differentiate between fresh frozen and heat treated orange juice employing descriptive analysis, and to determine by Osme, a gas chromatography-olfactometry (GCO) method, odor active volatiles that were either lacking or created in the heat treated juice. The second objective was to determine how changes in the odor-active volatile profile of heat treated orange juice, relates to changes in the aroma and flavor intensities of the samples as assessed by descriptive analysis. Through descriptive analysis, the panel was successful in significantly (p<0.05) separating the fresh, pasteurized, and concentrate samples. Orange, orange peel, sweet, and grassy descriptors were found to be important for fresh aroma and flavor, while cooked, yam, metallic, tamarind, green bean and artificial orange descriptors were higher in heat treated samples. Using Osme, it was possible to separate fresh frozen from heat treated orange juice, on the basis of their aroma profiles. Fresh frozen samples show a higher concentration of peaks tentatively identified as gamma-butyrolactone, citral, nonanal, carvone, perillaldehyde, carvyl propinate, valencene, and other unidentified peaks possessing descriptors such as floral, lime, citrus, pine, bamboo leaf, metallic, and vinyl. Pasteurized samples show a larger concentration of peaks tentatively identified as hexanol, octanol, nerol / carveol, myrcene, 2-octanone, p-cymene, terpenen-4-ol, betacitronellol, and other unidentified peaks with descriptors such as cilantro, vinyl, melon, mushroom, and metallic. Descriptors such as orange, orange peel, sweet, grapefruit, and grassy are more pronounced in the fresh samples and are similar to the odor descriptors of Osme peaks higher in the fresh samples. Descriptors such as cooked, artificial orange, yam, metallic, tamarind, and green bean are higher in the pasteurized samples, and are similar to the odor descriptors of peaks higher in these samples. / Graduation date: 1999