SinS - Abstract

Abstract Information :

Due to their versatility, chilies are a major global commodity. In addition to being a culinary ingredient, they are used as flavourings in food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics [1]. Out of thirty, only five species have been domesticated and are grown for human consumption. Within these five species, there are on average 4000 chili varietals with varying flavour profiles [2]. With the growing popularity of chilies, food and flavour industries would benefit from identifying the key compounds in chilies that contribute to a chili’s flavour profile aside from capsaicinoids. Many publications on chili flavour relate to somatosensory, which in this case is the relationship between the concentration of capsaicinoids identified in the chili, the heat perceived, and how it contributes to the flavour profile of the chili. The literature on other compounds that contribute to the flavour profile of a chili was reviewed to understand what is known and to see if similar research conducted corroborates with each other. Many other key flavour compounds have been identified in the literature, but comparing flavour compound concentrations is difficult due to the different units of measurement used to report results. According to the literature, the concentration of flavour compounds identified in chilies depends on the species, varietal, and growth stage. There was also variation in the compounds identified and their concentrations for the same chili varietals, which makes us wonder if variability is due to something else. Here, the key flavour compounds of three batches of Birds Eye Chili were identified and quantified at different time intervals using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry-Flame Ionisation Detection (GC-MS-FID) with sample preparation by Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME). The concentration of flavour compounds identified at the three-time intervals for each batch was not significantly different, but there was a significant difference between the three batches. In summary variability of compound concentration in chilies is also due to variation between batches of the same chili varietal. We need to understand how to reduce batch to batch variability of flavour compounds in chilies. 1. Bosland, P. W.; Votava, E. J. Peppers: Vegetable and Spice Capsicums; Cabi Publishing: New York, 2012. 2. Ramchiary, N.; Kole, C. The Capsicum Genome; Springer: Cham, Switzerland, 2019