Abstract:
To systematically evaluate and analyse the quality variations and flavour characteristics of commercially available strong aromatic corn oils, solvent-assisted flavour evaporation (SAFE) was employed to extract volatile components from five commercially available strong aromatic corn oils. Their aroma-active substances were then identified and comparatively analysed using gas chromatography-olfactometry-mass spectrometry (GC-O-MS). Relative odour activity values (ROAV) were used to identify key active compounds, alongside sensory quality evaluations. The results showed that all five commercially available strong aromatic corn oil samples complied with the national standards for physicochemical indexes. Oleic acid and linoleic acid were the predominant fatty acids, which together constitute over 80% of the total fatty acid content. Significant variations were observed in tocopherol content, while the sterol content ranged from 8.57 and 11.62 mg/g. A total of 58 aroma-active substances were identified in the five samples, including 11 pyrazines, 11 aldehydes, 7 furans, 6 esters, 6 ketones, 5 alcohols, 5 pyrroles, 2 phenols, 2 acid, 1 pyridine, 1 sulfur-caotaining, and 1 benzene-containing compound. ROAV analysis indicated that the key flavor compounds of the strong aromatic corn oil were 4-vinyl-2-methoxyphenol, furfural, phenylacetaldehyde, and 3-methylbutanal, respectively. Sensory quality analysis revealed that roasted corn flavor was the dominant characteristic of strong aromatic corn oil, and products from different brands also exhibited varying degrees of salty, nutty, sweet, and burnt notes. This study provides a theoretical reference for the flavor research and aroma quality regulation of commercially available strong aromatic corn oils.