Liquid Smoke Analysis (original) (raw)

Smoke flavor has been used for thousands of years to enhance and modify the flavor of foods as well as to preserve meats- This page presents some of the most important flavor constituents present in smoke flavoring.

Important Smoke Constituents - include many phenolic flavor chemicals derived from the pyrolisis of lignin in the wood, as well as items such as Maltol and various cyclopentenolones derived from cellulose pyrolysis. The lignin derived constituents such as Syringol are the heart of the smoke flavor while the cyclopentenolones provide a "burnt sugar" like note. In smoked meats, the phenolics act as preservatives which help to prevent spoilage.

Chromatogram of Liquid Smoke Flavor

From Cellulose Pyrolysis:

Acetic Acid Formic acid Maltol Methyl cyclopenenolone Ethylcyclpentenolone Dimethylcyclopentenolones Furfural 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural

From Lignin Pyrolysis:

Phenol ortho, meta and para Cresols Guaiacol 4-Methylguaiacol 4-Ethylguaiacol 4-Propylguaiacol Pyrocatechol Trimethylphenols Vanillin 4-(2-Propio)-vanillone 4-(1-Propio)-vanillone Acetovanillone 2,4,5-Trimethylbenzaldehyde 4-Hydroxyacetophenone Eugenol cis & trans-Isoeugenol 2,6-Dimethoxyphenol (Syringol) 4-Methylsyringol 4-Ethylsyringol 4-Propylsyringol 4-Acetosyringol 4-(2-Propio)-syringol 4-(1-Propio)-syringol cis & trans-4-(1-Propenyl)-syringol 4-(2-Propenyl)-syringol Syringaldehyde

For an extensive analysis of water based liquid smoke flavoring see the following references:

1. Guillen, Maria D. and Maria L. Ibargoitia, J. Agric. Food Chem., 1998, 46, pp. 1276-1285. 2. Guillen, Maria D., Maria J. Manzanos and Lourdes Zabala, J. Agric. Food Chem., 1995, 43, pp. 463-468.