SUMMARY Volatile compounds in the aroma of five varieties of roasted and unroasted (raw) cocoa beans have been identified by mass spectral analysis and gas chromatography. The five common varieties selected for this study all contain the following compounds usually in this order of abundance: isovaleraldehyde, isobutyraldehyde, propionaldehyde, methyl alcohol, acetaldehyde, methyl acetate, n‐butyraldehyde, and diacetyl. An additional eight compounds appear in smaller amounts. As evidenced by gas chromatographic analysis, the raw bean aroma contains the same components but in lower concentrations. The principal differences between varieties are shown to be due to the ratios of these compounds rather than new compounds. The effect of roasting period on the concentration of four aldehydes in the aroma of the ground bean is shown.

To gain a complete understanding of an odor a three-sided approach of the analysis is necessaryi.e., the identity and total quantity of the individual volatiles in the food, the composition of the vapors over the food, and the physical structure of the food have to be studied. In this paper most of the techniques used for the isolation and concentration of the volatile compounds in food are mentioned or discussed, and the frequency of their application in practical research has been estimated. It is emphasized that more than one procedure for distillation and extraction is to be applied for optimum odor recovery. Care should be taken to prevent artifact formation as much as possible. The best sequence in which the various techniques for the isolation and concentration should be used is considered and the advantages of adsorption and freezing procedures have been stressed.

Ingestion by hens and broilers of specific chloroanisols present in some wood shavings used in poultry cages can result in a musty taste in poultry products.

SUMMARY To establish whether using steam distillation in the determination of volatile amines in food might lead to artifact formation, a number of nonvolatile nitrogenous substances known to occur in food were tested under these conditions. The results showed that such a formation need be considered only when relatively large amounts of phosphatides, caffeine, theobromine, or hordenine are present in the sample. A method was worked out to eliminate the artificial production of amines from phosphatides. Selected food items were tested for volatile amines following the suggested procedure, and most of the amines were tentatively identified by paper chromatography. In addition to amines, pyrrolidine was probably found in milk and cocoa powder.