A Comparative Aroma Analysis of Intermediate Wheatgrass and Whole Wheat Bread Crusts.

Sustainability is a current focus of agronomy research and of growing importance to consumers. One promising sustainable alternative crop for wheat is intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium). However, for sustainable crops such as intermediate wheatgrass to be utilized, flavor acceptability is essential. The main objective of this work was to compare the aroma profile of intermediate wheatgrass (IWG) bread crust to that of whole wheat (WW) bread crust, as the aroma properties of foods play an important role in consumer acceptability. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-olfactometry and aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA) were utilized to identify the main differences in the aroma compounds in WW and IWG bread crusts. In summary, 3-methylbutanal, 2,3-diethyl-5-methylpyrazine, 2-ethyl-3,6-dimethylpyrazine, 2-ethyl-3,5-dimethylpyrazine, 2-acetylpyrazine, 2-acetylpyrroline, methional, 1-octen-3-one, ethyl octanoate, and (E,E)-2,4-decadienal were higher in concentration in the WW bread crust, while 2-acetyl-2-thiazoline, (E,Z)-2,6-nonadienal, and 1-octen-3-ol were higher in the IWG sample. The cocoa-like aroma compound, 2-methylpropanal, was additionally reported to be a unique character impact odorant in WW breast crust. The noted differences in the bread crust aroma profiles between the IWG and WW samples provide a basis to develop processing strategies for IWG bread to more closely mimic the flavor of WW bread, or to optimize the unique flavor of IWG bread for improved consumer acceptability.