Physico-Chemical Interactions in the Flavor-Release Process

The perception of flavor is induced by the release of aroma compounds in the vapor phase. The olfactory perception is not only related to the nature of aroma compounds initially present in the food, but also to their distribution between the different phases. After a description of the interactions established between the aroma compounds and different constituents of food, this chapter looks at physico-chemical characteristics of aroma compounds and at the composition and properties of food matrices. Then, in order to understand the behavior of aroma compounds in the matrices, study methods of interactions are described. The assessment of the release is done by determining the partition coefficients and mass transfer between phases. The conclusion opens the way on the preservation of aroma compounds.