Aroma release in-vivo measures the stimulus signal close to the olfactory receptors and thus correlates better with the perceived odour compared to headspace or odour composition of the food.

Real time monitoring helps us understand the delivery of aroma and taste to the receptors during eating and therefore provides information to improve or change the process of flavour perception.

Monitoring taste and aroma in-vivo has shown how these modalities interact in specific products and has helped shape new flavour delivery systems.

Since direct mass spectrometry is practically instantaneous, it allows the routine measurement of several hundred headspace samples per day. This opens new research opportunities. For instance in some complex multivariate systems many measurements are required to obtain a meaningful data set; this can now be accomplished with direct mass spectrometry. In foods where flavour changes can be rapid (e.g. climacteric ripening fruit like the tomato) the ability to measure many samples rapidly is essential to obtain high quality data.

Figure shows a tomato in an adapted blender which allows the maceration to be controlled and the simultaneous analysis of 12 volatile compounds by direct mass spectrometry. Analysis time 3 minutes.