2016 Volume 28 Issue 3 Pages 62-71
Our previous report revealed the unpleasant taste found in beverage syrups after soaking polyoxymethylene (POM) into syrups containing citric acid and ethanol. Herein, we investigated both the compounds contributing to the unpleasant taste and the conditions upon which they form as a function of syrup type, which differ in citric acid and ethanol content. The molded POM was soaked in the testing syrup having varying concentrations of citric acid and ethanol. Thereafter, the soaked syrup was evaluated for taste unpleasantness by a sensory test employing variance analysis. The unpleasant taste resulted from mutual interaction of citric acid and ethanol in the syrup in the presence of POM. We analyzed the syrup by GC/MS, and evaluated the relationship between total ion chromatograph intensity of the detected compounds and taste rating for the syrup. Correlation of fatty acid and hindered phenol concentration with taste rating identified these compounds as a contributing factor of the unpleasant taste. Furthermore, the results evidenced that the unpleasant-tasting compounds were produced as a direct result of citric acid and ethanol interaction independent of the molecular weight and chemical composition of POM.
