Wet coffee processing generates a large amount of coffee pulp waste that is mostly disposed of in the processing units. To reduce this waste and the associated environmental burden, an alternative strategy would be to exploit the coffee pulp to produce a durable and stable consumable product. Accordingly, a puree produced from Robusta coffee pulp was investigated in relation to its physicochemical and sensory properties. After thermal and chemical stabilization, the obtained puree (pH 3.6) was found to exhibit a multimodal particle size distribution, shear-thinning behavior, and lower discoloration, as well as an antioxidant capacity of 87.9 µmol_TE/g_DM. The flavor of the puree was examined by sensory evaluation and the corresponding analyses of aroma-active volatile compounds, as determined using aroma extract dilution analyses (AEDA) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/olfactometry (GC-MS/O). The puree was characterized by dominant fruity (4.4), floral (3.4), citrusy (3.3) and hay-like (3.3) odor impressions. The aroma-active compounds were predominantly aldehydes, acids, and lactones, whereby (E)-β-damascenone, geraniol, 4-methylphenol, 3-hydroxy-4,5-dimethylfuran-2(5H)-one, and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde exhibited the highest flavor dilution (FD) factor (1024), thereby indicating their high impact on the overall aroma of the puree. This study demonstrates an approach to stabilize coffee pulp to produce a sweet, fruity puree with comparable physical properties to other fruit purees and that can be used as a new and versatile flavoring ingredient for various food applications.

The characteristic, dominant flavor of gin is juniper, often within a complex aroma of other botanicals. The present study examined two gins from a distillery in the German state of Bavaria; one produced with 50 individual botanicals, the other with 15. The study focused on characterizing the aroma profiles and identifying the key aroma-active compounds of the gins. Comparative sensory evaluations of the gins revealed marked differences in their aroma profiles, with the botanical-rich gin exhibiting more citrusy, orangey and fruity notes than the gin containing fewer botanicals. Instrumental analyses by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/olfactometry (GC-MS/O) using aroma extract dilution assays (AEDA) identified terpenes as the dominant key aroma compounds, specifically limonene, 1,8-cineole, linalool, estragole and trans-anethole, with additional contributions from aldehydes, such as nonanal, and phenylpropanoids, such as eugenol and estragole. Selected compounds were quantified using stir-bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) and stabile isotope dilution analysis (SIDA) with GC-MS analysis. Further, odor thresholds and corresponding odor activity values (OAVs) of these compounds were calculated, with linalool exhibiting the highest OAV in both gins. The present analyses revealed how different botanicals alter the concentrations of key aroma compound constituents and elicit a shift in the overall aroma profile of the final spirit.