How Flavor Measurement Instruments Help Ensure Food Quality

By Bob Janda, Janda Corporation

Currently, there is no analytical method to measure food flavor except for sensory panels. However, a flavor measuring instrument can assign a value to food flavor which enables food processors to measure and monitor food flavor during production. By measuring flavor, production lines can be adjusted to the most efficient production rate and energy cost needed to obtain the pinnacle of flavor.

When foods are cooked, they go through a chemical process called the Maillard reaction to develop flavor. This process is a chemical reaction between the amino acids and a reducing sugar in the food that produces the food’s flavor. During the cooking process, flavor compounds are created by the reaction and each food has a distinctive set of compounds. Most foods, such as baked goods, cereals, sauces, soups, meats, and vegetables, develop flavor using the Maillard reaction.

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