Food Flavor Chemistry and Sensory Properties Analysis

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Sensory and Consumer Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 19 January 2027 | Viewed by 2330

Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Brewing Molecular Engineering of China Light Industry, College of Food Science and Health, Beijing Technology & Business University, Beijing 100048, China
Interests: flavor chemistry; food safety; comprehensive utilization of brewing by-products

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Food Science and Health, Beijing Technology & Business University, Beijing 100048, China
Interests: food oral processing and flavor perception; flavor chemistry; sensory evaluation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Food safety is the bottom line, food health is the high line, but food flavor has no limits. Food flavor is crucial for food and largely determines consumers' preferences and choices for food. Studying various aspects of food flavor has always been one of the research hotspots. Since the application of traditional molecular sensory genomics in food flavor research, it has greatly promoted the study of food flavor and achieved many results, but there are still many challenges. In response to these challenges, this Special Issue mainly focuses on new technologies, discoveries, and developments in the field of food flavor chemistry, such as new methods for sensory evaluation, molecular interaction research, olfactory mechanisms, EEG technology, etc.

Prof. Dr. Mingquan Huang
Dr. Dandan Pu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • food flavor
  • sensory evaluation
  • molecular interaction
  • olfactory mechanisms
  • new technology
  • EEG

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

18 pages, 1776 KB  
Article
Comparative Effects of Different Proteases on the Non-Volatile Taste Compounds and Volatile Flavor Fingerprints of Sarcodon imbricatus Hydrolysates
by Ju Guan, Yanlin Li, Tianyang Wang, Haibin Yuan, Hongfeng Jia, Wenjiao Fan, Wei Chen, Huachang Wu, Minglu Lan and Yuwen Yi
Foods 2026, 15(11), 1924; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15111924 - 29 May 2026
Viewed by 299
Abstract
Enzymatic hydrolysis with proteases efficiently releases taste active and volatile compounds from mushroom matrices; however, how protease specificity impacts the flavor characteristics of Sarcodon imbricatus (S. imbricatus) remains unclear. In this study, S. imbricatus was treated with Flavourzyme, Protamex, and Bromelain [...] Read more.
Enzymatic hydrolysis with proteases efficiently releases taste active and volatile compounds from mushroom matrices; however, how protease specificity impacts the flavor characteristics of Sarcodon imbricatus (S. imbricatus) remains unclear. In this study, S. imbricatus was treated with Flavourzyme, Protamex, and Bromelain to produce hydrolysates, and the resulting changes in non-volatile taste-active compounds and volatile flavor characteristics were systematically evaluated by free amino acid analysis, 5′-nucleotides determination, electronic tongue, and HS-GC-IMS. The results show that enzymatic hydrolysis significantly affects its flavor characteristics. Flavourzyme treatment resulted in the highest degree of hydrolysis (29.24 ± 0.65%) and free amino acid (47.46 ± 1.02 mg/g) accumulation, whereas Protamex produced the highest equivalent umami concentration (EUC) value (115.81 g MSG/100 g), indicating stronger umami synergism between amino acids and 5′-nucleotides. Bromelain also altered the flavor characteristics after hydrolysis, but to a lesser extent. Electronic tongue analysis further showed that enzymatic hydrolysis generally enhanced umami and reduced bitterness, with Flavourzyme exhibiting the most pronounced effect. Meanwhile, HS-GC-IMS identified 69 volatile compounds and showed that FSIH and PSIH had more pronounced effects on the volatile profiles of S. imbricatus. Furthermore, 16 discriminatory markers (VIP > 1) were screened, indicating distinct volatile modulation by different proteases. Overall, Flavourzyme exhibited the most balanced performance and was considered the preferable protease for S. imbricatus hydrolysis under the present conditions. These findings provide a theoretical basis for its further processing and natural seasoning development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Flavor Chemistry and Sensory Properties Analysis)
Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 15036 KB  
Article
Integrated Metabolomics and Molecular Docking Reveal Spatial and Developmental Variations in Flavor and Bioactive Constituents of Lonicera japonica Flos
by Weiran Feng, Zongshuo Li, Xi Dai, Yanxia Shu, Chao Yu, Yanwen Wu and Weidong Li
Foods 2026, 15(10), 1619; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15101619 - 7 May 2026
Viewed by 516
Abstract
Lonicera japonica Thunb. possesses significant potential for applications in beverages and functional foods. Nevertheless, most studies focus on the overall quality of flower buds, with limited comparisons across different developmental stages and distinct floral parts. This study systematically investigated changes in volatile flavor [...] Read more.
Lonicera japonica Thunb. possesses significant potential for applications in beverages and functional foods. Nevertheless, most studies focus on the overall quality of flower buds, with limited comparisons across different developmental stages and distinct floral parts. This study systematically investigated changes in volatile flavor compounds and non-volatile bioactive constituents in whole flowers, calyxes, corollas, and reproductive organs before and after flowering. An integrated approach combining metabolomics profiling, entropy weight analysis, correlation network analysis, and molecular docking was employed to evaluate their potential in functional food development. The level of 3-decyn-2-ol increased markedly after flowering, with an approximately 14-fold increase in reproductive organs. Phenolic acids were highly enriched in the calyx, reaching up to 12-fold higher than in other parts. Flavonoids predominated in the corolla at levels 1.5–3-fold higher than in other tissues. Following flowering, the overall levels of phenolic acids and flavonoids decreased, while total sugars, reducing sugars, and polysaccharides increased by approximately 59%, 98%, and 35%, respectively. These results suggest that open flowers may exhibit enhanced potential for functional food applications. Entropy weight analysis indicated that the calyx contributed most to the integrated evaluation of flavor and functional attributes. Correlation network analysis identified chlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid, rutin, luteoloside, loganic acid, and secologanoside as key constituents, which showed potential interactions with inflammation- and immunity-related targets in molecular docking. These findings suggest that although medicinal use decreased after flowering, the edible value of L. japonica may increase, providing a basis for its rational utilization in functional food development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Flavor Chemistry and Sensory Properties Analysis)
Show Figures

Figure 1

25 pages, 2208 KB  
Article
Characterization of Key Odorants in Jimo Huangjiu Using a Characteristic Aroma-Directed Screening Strategy
by Hongtao Yu, Siman Zheng, Liuxi Chen, Juan Wang, Hongqin Liu, Jinglin Zhang, Mingquan Huang, Jihong Wu, Dongrui Zhao and Jinchen Li
Foods 2026, 15(6), 1111; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15061111 - 23 Mar 2026
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1069
Abstract
Jimo Huangjiu (JMHJ), a Chinese geographical indication product from Shandong Province, is characterized by distinctive burnt-like and smoky aromas. However, the specific odorants responsible for these sensory attributes remain uncharacterized. In this study, the flavor characteristics of Jimo Huangjiu are characterized through static [...] Read more.
Jimo Huangjiu (JMHJ), a Chinese geographical indication product from Shandong Province, is characterized by distinctive burnt-like and smoky aromas. However, the specific odorants responsible for these sensory attributes remain uncharacterized. In this study, the flavor characteristics of Jimo Huangjiu are characterized through static and dynamic sensory evaluation during the drinking process. This study identified the essential odorants of JMHJ through integrated sensomics analysis. Results revealed pyrazines and phenolic compounds as the characteristic aroma markers responsible for the unique smoky and burnt-like aroma of JMHJ. Ethyl 2-methylpropionate, 4-methylphenol, 4-ethyl-2-methoxyphenol, β-phenylethyl alcohol, 2-ethyl-6-methylpyrazine, 2-ethyl-3-methylpyrazine, 2-methylpyrazine, 2-methoxyphenol, 2-methylphenol, 2,3-dimethylpyrazine, and 2-hydroxy-3-methyl-2-cyclopentenone were confirmed as key odorants in JMHJ. Furthermore, the synergistic interactions between nonanoic acid and phenolic compounds were found to contribute to a Qu-like aroma, representing a novel mechanism for this characteristic sensory attribute in Huangjiu. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Flavor Chemistry and Sensory Properties Analysis)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop