March 25/Food Business Week -- "In this study, the volatile compounds in nine fermented soybean pastes were extracted and analyzed by simultaneous steam distillation and extraction (SDE) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS), respectively. A total of 91 volatile components were identified," per research from South Korea.

"The differences in volatiles were observed by applying principal component analyses (PCA) to GC-MS data sets. Most of the samples did not show apparent groupings; however, a three sample clustering (CJW, SIN and HAE) was observed for pastes made by Aspergillus oryzae inoculation. From the PCA of the sensory data, samples are primarily separated along the first PC (explained 68% of the total variance), between samples like SUJA, CHJA and SOHI with high intensities of 'briny,' 'soy sauce,' 'musty' and 'astringent,' and the samples (CJW and SIN) with intense levels in 'sweet-grain,' 'sweet' and 'MSG' attributes," wrote S.J. Lee and colleagues.

The researchers concluded, "The individual concentrations of volatile compounds such as isoamyl acetate. furfuryl alcohol, maltol, pyrazines, 1-octen-3-ol and 2-methoxy-4-vinyl phenol corresponded well to the intensities of related sensory attributes by the correlation analysis."

Lee and colleagues published their study in Food Chemistry ("Comparison of volatile components in fermented soybean pastes using simultaneous distillation and extraction (SDE) with sensory characterisation." Food Chemistry, 2009;114(2):600-609).

For additional information, contact S.J. Lee, Korea Food Research Institute, Tradit Foods Division, Beakhyun Dong 516, Songnam 463746, Kyunggi Do, South Korea.

From the March 30, 2009, Prepared Foods E-dition