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Aroma and Volatile Compounds from Foods

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Flavours and Fragrances".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 736

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
School of Perfume and Aroma Technology, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai 201418, China
Interests: food flavor; carbohydrates; encapsulation; food sensory; mushrooms; GC-MS
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, "Aroma and Volatile Compounds from Foods", delves into the critical role of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in defining food’s sensory quality, safety, and consumer acceptance. Aroma compounds, a key subset of VOCs, directly contribute to flavor perception, while other volatiles can serve as indicators of freshness, the processing conditions, authenticity, spoilage, or safety.

We invite the submission of original research and reviews exploring the identification, characterization, formation pathways (enzymatic, thermal, microbial, chemical), and function of these compounds across diverse food matrices. The topics of interest include advances in analytical techniques (e.g., GC-MS, GC-O, PTR-MS, e-noses), structure–odor relationships, the impact of agricultural practices and processing (fermentation, cooking, storage) on volatile profiles, and the role of VOCs in food quality assessment and traceability. Studies investigating bioactive volatiles, masking/retention strategies, non-targeted screening, chemometrics for data analysis, and the influence of volatiles on consumer perceptions are also welcome.

This collection aims to provide a comprehensive platform for sharing cutting-edge research that enhances our understanding of food volatiles and their practical implications for the food industry.

Prof. Dr. Tao Feng
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 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

  • aroma compounds
  • volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
  • food flavor
  • gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS)
  • odor activity value (OAV)
  • food quality
  • food processing
  • sensory analysis

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 2804 KB  
Article
Effects of Different Processing Methods on the Quality and Flavor Characteristics of Shiqi Pigeon (Columba livia domestica) Meat
by Weina Li, Xinlan Cao, Siqi Ming, Yongjie Xu, Zhuoxian Weng, Haitang Wang and Xiaonan Zhang
Molecules 2026, 31(5), 810; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31050810 - 28 Feb 2026
Viewed by 401
Abstract
This study investigated the effects of boiling, roasting, and frying on the quality and flavor characteristics of Shiqi pigeon (Columba livia domestica) meat. Changes in color, texture, microstructure, and volatile profiles were systematically evaluated using colorimetry, texture profile analysis, scanning electron [...] Read more.
This study investigated the effects of boiling, roasting, and frying on the quality and flavor characteristics of Shiqi pigeon (Columba livia domestica) meat. Changes in color, texture, microstructure, and volatile profiles were systematically evaluated using colorimetry, texture profile analysis, scanning electron microscopy, electronic nose analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Thermal processing significantly influenced physicochemical properties and flavor profiles. Fried samples exhibited the highest hardness (27.79 N), chewiness (33.13 mJ), and maximum shear force (30.23 N), while boiled samples showed the lowest hardness (22.12 N) and puncture hardness (12.20 N), indicating improved tenderness. Electronic nose PCA explained 85.4% of total variance (PC1: 59.5%; PC2: 25.9%), clearly discriminating the three treatments. Color measurements showed that frying induced the greatest total color difference (ΔE > 1, p < 0.05), followed by roasting and boiling. FTIR analysis revealed pronounced shifts in amide I bands in fried samples, indicating stronger protein secondary structure alterations. Overall, different thermal processing methods produced distinct quality and flavor characteristics in pigeon meat, providing scientific guidance for process optimization and product development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aroma and Volatile Compounds from Foods)
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