Flavor and aroma play an important role in consumers’ acceptance of fruits and vegetables. These characteristics are due to different chemical compounds. The taste component of the flavor is positively correlated with sugars (sweet taste), organic acids (sour taste), phenolic compounds (bitter taste), tannins and capsaicinoids (chemical feelings), while the odor/aroma component is linked to volatile compounds (esters, terpenes, alcohols, aldehydes, etc.).
Food flavourings are ingredients added to food to intensify or improve its flavor. They are usually represented by a mixture of spices, herbs, taste components, and colors. Some of the most commonly used seasonings include herbs (e.g. oregano) spices (e.g. cinnamon), condiments (e.g. mustard), and a variety of vinegars
On the other hand, the trends for volatile compounds differ according to their chemical families: aldehydes and alcohols decrease, while esters increase during postharvest. Measurements of flavor and aroma compounds can be conducted by using instrumental techniques (HPLC, GC-MS, GC-FID, etc.), sensory analysis, and combinations of both, such as GC-olfactometry.