Smell of Fermentation Process of Milk

Monitoring of the fermentation process for milk and other fermented products is useful in controlling fermentation conditions and production management.
In the process where milk ferments together with the passage of time, we monitored changes in the quality and strength of its odor using theFragrance & Flavor Analyzer.

<Results>
The elapsed-time trends of concentrations of nine reference gases were used for evaluating odor characteristics related to fermentation progress and quality.
Fig.1 shows the concentrations of the nine reference compounds over time, indicating that odor quality changes at around six hours. Furthermore, the experiment reveals that the “smell” of the fermentation broth is not attributable to the concentration, or change of concentration of, a single component, but to the aggregate of at least nine.
Moreover, the FF-2A’s trend presentation allows the experienced analyst to evaluate the components of the fermentation and correct those which are defective, or take steps to reduce those which are most obnoxious.
Also, from the graph obtained by conversion to the odor index in Fig.2, it can be seen that smell gets stronger up to around six hours after initiation, after which there are no changes for a while, with the smell getting slightly stronger from around ten hours after initiation.

The FF-2A Fragrance & Flavor Analyzer, with its simulated organoleptic analysis, is an alternative to component analysis such as Gas Chromatography (GC) for the analysis of "smells". It performs an auxiliary role in product development or research, and can be applied, for example, to pass/fail judgment in quality inspection. It also has a built-in pre-treatment unit, and high-sensitivity measurement is made possible since the influence of alcohol or water can be reduced, and concentrated solutions can be measured.