Volatile Flavor of Sauerkraut.a,bGas Chromatographic Identification of a Volatile Acidic Off‐Odor

摘要

SUMMARYA method is presented for gas chromatographic identification of the chain length and structure of methyl esters of lower‐molecular‐weight fatty acids. The chemical identity of the “cheese‐like” off‐odor of sauerkraut was established. Abnormally high concentrations ofn‐propionic,n‐butyric, andn‐caproic acids were found in samples of kraut that had been graded low because of this off‐odor defect. A very poor sample that had been discarded, contained isobu‐tyric and isovaleric acids in addition ton‐propionic,n‐butyric,n‐valeric, andn‐caproic acids. In this sample,n‐butyric acid was found in th