White truffle aroma fingerprint: electronic nose and GC-MS analyses

The characteristic aroma composition of white truffles (T. magnatum Pico) determine its culinary and commercial value. A great number of volatile compounds are responsible for truffle aroma, and several chemical reactions can take place during truffle storage changing its organoleptic properties [1]. Storage condition is therefore crucial for the shelf life and, consequently, the determination of truffle’s quality and value. A study of headspace composition of white truffles using Electronic nose (E-nose), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS) and sensory evaluation was performed. Truffles were stored at different conditions for seven days: +4°C and +8°C wrapped in blotting paper or covered by rice or none of the above. Headspace electronic nose measurements and sensory analysis were performed each day for all the samples. Statistical multivariate analysis (Partial Least Square Discriminant Analysis) of the resulting data showed the ability of E-nose to predict sensorial analysis scores. Moreover E-nose showed the ability to determine a specific truffle aroma pattern and to follow its modification during aging. Truffle’s volatile molecules were also extracted by headspace solid phase micro extraction (HS-SPME) technique and separated and identified by GC-MS analysis.