Sensory Interactions between Cheese Aroma and Taste

Abstract Cross‐modal interactions between cheese aroma and cheese taste, and between aroma were investigated. Aroma was varied by four mixture types and three concentrations, all with a background cheese taste, with four aroma only controls. All cheese aroma samples were produced using 10 aroma compounds commonly found in cheese but at varying individual concentrations of compound. A panel of assessors (n = 8) evaluated in triplicate the intensities of four flavor attributes; overall intensity of cheese, fruity cheese, blue cheese, and buttery cheese. The flavor attributes that corresponded to the aroma compound mixtures were perceived highest in intensity; blue cheese flavor (from additional methyl ketones: 2‐butanone, 2‐heptanone, and 2‐nonanone), fruity cheese flavor (from additional esters: ethyl butanoate and ethyl hexanoate) or buttery cheese flavor (from additional diacetyl). An increase in select aroma compound concentrations from the base aroma mixture revealed the effect of aroma mixture interactions on flavor perception. Overall intensity of cheese was significantly suppressed by esters (P < 0.01) and diacetyl (P < 0.01), while it was unchanged by methyl ketones. Removing taste from the mixture significantly reduced all flavor attribute intensities regardless of cheese aroma character. Changing the aroma character gave different variants of cheese flavor but did not enhance overall intensity of cheese. Practical Applications Varying aroma compound concentrations within a mixture to produce different aroma types can change the flavor character. It could not however, enhance the flavor intensity of generic cheese flavor intensity. In this case, altering aroma character is not an effective means to potentially compensate for reduced taste on flavor intensity. Manipulating aroma compounds that have a large influence on the flavor concept of cheese however, such as methyl ketones, could change flavor character without altering generic cheese flavor intensity. Manipulating aroma compounds that contribute to a background flavor of cheese, such as esters and diacetyl, not only could change flavor character but suppress the generic cheese flavor intensity. Aroma compounds of choice for manipulation are therefore critical to maintaining the overall cheese flavor concept.