Sensory evaluation of the odour of a sunflower oil emulsion throughout oxidation

Oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids is responsible for off‐flavours, often described as rancid flavours. This study was aimed at describing the evolution of the odour of a sunflower oil‐in‐water emulsion during oxidation at 50 °C in the dark. Appearance of an odour and occurrence of oxidation were first tested for at short‐time aging (0–4 h) by the triangle test and measurements of oxygen consumption, respectively. The odour of the emulsion oxidised for up to 240 h was then characterised by sensory profile, while volatiles issued from lipid oxidation were analysed in the headspace by SPME. From 1 h of aging, while oxygen consumption remained weak, a significant change of the odour was detected by the panel. Up to 21 volatile compounds were identified in the headspace of long‐time‐oxidised emulsions. Beyond the rancid attribute, seven attributes were chosen to describe the odour of oxidised emulsions, four of which referring to solutions of a single volatile oxidation compound. The contribution of the fresh oil attribute, initially dominant, was progressively overtaken from 6 to 24 h of aging by the deep‐fried attribute, which later declined in favour of the painty attribute, predominant after 100 h. Evolution of intensity scores and contribution to odour profiles of attributes could not be easily related to one reference volatile compound or another, confirming the complex relationship between the generated volatile compounds and the perceived odour.