Effect of pH, Reducing Sugars, and Protein on Roasted Sunflower Seed Aroma Volatiles

Sunflower seeds are a popular snack in many countries, such as the United States, China, and Spain. Sunflower seeds are typically roasted to create desirable aromas before being eaten. The desirable aromas are created by the Maillard and lipid oxidation reactions. Increasing the volatiles created by these reactions can create a more desirable product, increasing consumer acceptance of sunflower seeds. Seeds were soaked in solutions at pH 4, 7, and 9 and with added glucose, fructose, whey protein isolate, or whey protein concentrate before roasting. The resulting seeds were evaluated by selected-ion flow tube mass spectrometry to determine the volatile concentrations and by an untrained panel of consumers to determine acceptability. Increasing the pH increased the pyrazines but did not affect other volatiles. Adding reducing sugars or whey protein increased most volatiles. The fructose increased dimethylpyrazines, 2-methylpyrazine, and trimethylpyrazine concentrations more than glucose. However, the glucose increased furfural concentration more than fructose. The whey protein concentrate increased volatile levels more than any other treatment. The total Maillard volatiles and Browning index were increased by the same treatments. Sensory indicated that fructose increased desirable aroma the most, followed by whey protein treatments, and both were liked more than the pH 7 control. Optimizing roasting conditions by increasing the pH and reducing sugar and protein content can favor the Maillard reaction conditions, increasing the positive aromas associated with roasted sunflower seeds.