As in many sweet foods, flavour is an essential characteristic of cocoa and chocolate. The compounds responsible for the aroma are methylpyrazines, nitrogen heterocyclic substances formed during the roasting process. Among these compounds, 2-methylpyrazine and 2,3,5,6-tetramethylpyrazine are the most important compounds because they are both responsible for the respective sweet and strong cocoa aroma. They can represent a useful index for the assessment of product and process qualities. The aim of this work is to set-up and optimize the solid-phase microextraction (SPME) analytical method, in order to determine flavour compositions and, at the same time, perform a predictive analysis of the aroma content of different cocoa blends. Results show a statistical correlation between pyrazine content, geographical origin and sensory properties.
Cocoa quality and processing. A study by solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography analysis of methylpyrazines
PEREGO, PATRIZIA;FABIANO, BRUNO;DEL BORGHI, MARCO
2004-01-01
Abstract
As in many sweet foods, flavour is an essential characteristic of cocoa and chocolate. The compounds responsible for the aroma are methylpyrazines, nitrogen heterocyclic substances formed during the roasting process. Among these compounds, 2-methylpyrazine and 2,3,5,6-tetramethylpyrazine are the most important compounds because they are both responsible for the respective sweet and strong cocoa aroma. They can represent a useful index for the assessment of product and process qualities. The aim of this work is to set-up and optimize the solid-phase microextraction (SPME) analytical method, in order to determine flavour compositions and, at the same time, perform a predictive analysis of the aroma content of different cocoa blends. Results show a statistical correlation between pyrazine content, geographical origin and sensory properties.
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