High-throughput flavour profiling of fruit

Publisher Summary For the analysis of the flavor of fruit and vegetables that require minimal sample preparation, there is a need for high-throughput techniques that are easy to operate at the lowest possible cost. The shorter commercial life cycle of fruit and vegetables and the increasing importance of flavor have necessitated the development of new high-throughput techniques for flavor analysis. This chapter describes the biology of aroma and taste perception by humans as this knowledge has inspired the development of biomimetic sensors, such as electronic noses and tongues. It introduces high-throughput spectroscopic techniques for measuring taste components, with an emphasis on Near-Infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. It also discusses the principle and applications of electronic tongues and describes new developments in high-throughput aroma profiling based on mass spectrometry and electronic noses. Biomimetic sensors use sensor arrays that generate complex signals when exposed to a headspace or immersed in juices. These signals are then analyzed by means of chemometric techniques and related to either sensory attributes of the fruit or vegetable or to individual flavor components. Electronic noses and tongues and spectroscopic techniques, such as (near) infrared spectroscopy require less sample preparation than traditional techniques and are faster. Some of them, in particular NIR spectroscopy, for measuring soluble solids content, are non-destructive and have been mounted on grading lines.