Application progress of intelligent flavor sensing system in the production process of fermented foods based on the flavor properties

Abstract

Fermented foods are sensitive to the production conditions because of microbial and enzymatic activities, which requires intelligent flavor sensing system (IFSS) to monitor and optimize the production process based on the flavor properties. As the simulation system of human olfaction and gustation, IFSS has been widely used in the field of food with the characteristics of nondestructive, pollution-free, and real-time detection. This paper reviews the application of IFSS in the control of fermentation, ripening, and shelf life, and the potential in the identification of quality differences and flavor-producing microbes in fermented foods. The survey found that electronic nose (tongue) is suitable to monitor fermentation process and identify food authenticity in real time based on the changes of flavor profile. Gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance technology can be used to analyze the flavor metabolism of fermented foods at various production stages and explore the correlation between flavor substances and microorganisms.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Keywords:

• Electronic nose
• electronic tongue
• gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry
• nuclear magnetic resonance
• fermentation and ripening control
• shelf life and authenticity evaluation
• flavor-producing microorganisms

Acknowledgments

The authors also thank Zhejiang University for technical support.

Disclosure statement

All authors declared that there was no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China through Project 31972200.