Approaches and Issues on Odor Problems

Abstract

We receive a lot of consultations about the group-wide odor problems and get requests for analyses of those. The contents include various things such as an official method analysis related to Offensive Odor Control Law and an investigation of off-flavor that occur in the products.
In this report, two topics about odor problems on which we have been working were described. One is concerned with the environmental odor that might affect the surroundings of the mill. The law regulates the odor generated from the mill or the workplace for the purpose of conservation of living environment and health protection of the people. The odorants regulations that measured in equipment, is being changed to odor index regulations using the human sense of smell. Since olfactory panel is required to have normal sense of smell, we have confirmed the normality by the olfactory test using five types of odorants. When the mill has odor problems, we should go there to carry out sensory evaluations and gas samplings. It was possible to help solve the problems by analyzing the samples in our lab to identify the odor-causing substances.
The other is an analysis of off-flavor generated from the products. We are often asked to analyze the tissue papers and the paperboards with unusual smell. We have been manufacturing paperboard and cardboard, have a particular attention to the complaints by the musty order (2, 4, 6-Trichloroanisole : 2, 4, 6-TCA and 2, 4, 6-bromoanisole : 2, 4, 6-TBA). The case analyzed in the past and the proactive measure were described. We carried out the sensory evaluation of products and sensed musty odor. The sources have been identified by the instrumental and process analysis. As a proactive measure, we have implemented the test for selecting sensitive panels of smell.