Odor Threshold Levels of Pyrazine Compounds and Assessment of Their Role in the Flavor of Roasted Foods

SUMMARY —The concentration of alkylpyrazine compounds in roasted peanuts, coffee and potato chips was determined quantitatively. Ten pyrazines, purified by gas‐liquid chromatography, were subjected to sensory evaluation studies in both aqueous and lipid media. Both the odor‐detection threshold levels and a subjective evaluation of the odor of the compounds were obtained. This information, coupled with the quantitative knowledge of the pyrazine content of roasted foods, allows an assessment of the probable significance of the pyrazines in the aroma of these food products.