Natural cheese differs depending on the kind of milk and microorganisms used, as well as the conditions under which the cheese is matured. The purpose of this study was to examine a method of evaluating the aroma of bread with added natural cheese based on color, and to clarify the evaluation results and the correlation with volatile compounds. We made loaves of bread that each combined 13 kinds of natural cheese. We performed sensory evaluation of the aroma of the cheese bread using color. The aroma of bread was expressed as orange and yellow and the aroma of cheese bread was expressed as yellow. Principal component analysis identified the first principal component to be “tone” and the second to be “hue”. The first component was interpreted as “the strength and weakness of the baked aroma of the cheese bread”. The second component was interpreted as “the balance of the aroma of the bread”. Aldehydes and heterocycles had a negative correlation with pale and light color, and a positive correlation with deep color. We also visualized the aroma of cheese bread using words and components. We were able to suggest means of clearly conveying the aroma of cheese bread to consumers.

In order to clarify the risk management ability of the elderly in the daily life, a study was carried out, in which, 150 elderly and 105 young control panelists have been asked to detect and identify three smells which are serving as indices of food degradation, namely acetic acid, trimethylamine, and methyl mercaptan in order to determine the olfactory thresholds. The results revealed that the thresholds were all higher in the elderly, and that their sense of smell had deteriorated compared with the young. The threshold distribution in the elderly was more widespread for acetic acid, and the difference between the detection and the recognition thresholds was smaller compared with the young. Regarding trimethylamine, some old panelists could not detect the prepared sample with the largest density, so its spread could not be determined using only a simple sample average. In order to determine the spread, a data fitting method was introduced. Regarding methyl mercaptan the spread of the threshold distribution was more widespread compared with other smells, even in the young, and this tendency was clearer with the recognition threshold. It was also found that 76 % of the elderly did not notice any deterioration in their olfactory ability.

A basic cookie mix was made using wheat flour (45%), shortening (25%), sugar (20%) and whole egg (10%). Cookies were baked at 170°C for 11 minutes. Aromatic compounds contained in the cookie were extracted into diethyl ether using a simultaneous steam distillation extraction process. The diethyl ether extract was then concentrated and the aromatic compounds contained therein were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry using a DB-WAX column. A total of 65 compounds were identified, and their aromatic intensity and characteristics were analyzed using the aroma extract dilution analysis method. The main aromatic compounds in the cookies were 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, followed by 1-octen-3-one, and 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline. Other aromatic compounds identified were pyrazines, aldehydes and ketones.