Flavor Scalping
A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Flavours and Fragrances".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 March 2026 | Viewed by 3
Special Issue Editor
Interests: food chemistry; food authentication; food analysis; analysis of contaminants in foods; analytical aspects of food packaging; non thermal methods of food preservation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
In recent years, plastics have been increasingly employed to package foods and beverages, due to their low weight, ease of handling, and competitive cost. Flavor scalping is a term used to describe the loss of quality of a packaged food due to the absorption of a part of its volatile flavor compounds by the plastic packaging material. The food packaging industry estimates that about 70% of food and beverages come into intimate contact with plastics at some time during their distribution cycle. Most food and beverage containers are lined with plastics, mainly polyolefins, which, due to their low polarity, tend to absorb volatile compounds of similar polarity. A second important fact is that foods are kept in contact with plastics for far longer periods than ever before.
Besides volatiles, nonvolatile compounds may also be absorbed by the packaging material, but in this case, these may affect the packaging material characteristics such as permeability, migration potential, and even mechanical properties such as delamination in the case of multi-layer flexible films. Unfortunately, limited information is available in the literature on this subject. Few studies have dealt with the effect of flavor and off-flavor absorption on the O2 permeability of LDPE, PP, polycarbonate (PC), and PET. Absorption of volatile substances resulted in increased O2 permeability of PP and LDPE. A typical example of flavor scalping is wine, which relies on a delicate balance of volatile compounds for its aroma and taste. When these compounds are absorbed by the packaging material, the wine can lose its intended complexity and intensity. It can also alter the flavor profile, potentially leading to a less balanced or even undesirable taste. Studies have shown that certain types of closures, like some synthetic materials, can absorb specific volatile compounds from wine, including oak-related components and esters.
Absorption of flavor compounds by polymers involves both partitioning and diffusion through the plastic. It is influenced by (i) polymer properties such as polarity, morphology, chain stiffness (glass transition temperature), density, free volume, crystallinity, and surface area, by (ii) flavor compound properties such as structure, concentration, and polarity, and (iii) by external factors such as temperature, time of contact, relative humidity, and the proximity of other compounds.
Based on the above, it is apparent that flavor scalping should be minimized in order to preserve food flavor quality and that research on the subject should be one of the food packaging industry’s priorities. The present Special Issue will attempt to bring together food scientists working on the subject, with a focus on various aspects of flavor scalping such as possible solutions for its minimization, including flavor encapsulation, the use of biobased packaging materials, the incorporation of nanocomposites, etc.
Prof. Dr. Michael G. Kontominas
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- flavor compound absorption
- plastic packaging materials
- polyolefins
- polyethyene terephthalate
- product flavor loss
- product sensory quality
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