The postharvest shelf life of fresh corn largely depends on the packaging method and storage temperature. This study investigated the effect of vacuum packaging (VP) with high-barrier (HB) or ordinary (OR) nylon/nylon/polypropylene (PP) composite films and the impact of storage temperature (4, 25, and 38 °C) on the shelf life of fresh corn. The sensory quality and color changes of the corn were evaluated, indicating a significant improvement in the glossiness (GL), sourness (SO), and color changes compared to corn packaged using OR films. The results showed that the HB films preserved corn freshness under refrigerated and normal temperature storage conditions, delaying color changes and SO development. A shelf-life model was established based on the Arrhenius equation. The predicted values of the corn at different temperatures were compared with the experimental data, indicating that the model could accurately predict the shelf life. The shelf life observed via sensory evaluation was more than 50% shorter than the results obtained by instrumental measurements. Therefore, sensory evaluation could be applied to determine shelf life and avoid food waste.

This study combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and odor activity value (OAV) assessments to analyze the volatile ingredient changes in formula powder during 11 months of storage at room temperature. Orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) and variable importance in projection (VIP) were also used to assess the potential indicators of aroma changes during storage. The aim was to expose the possible changes in the aroma profile and the substances that alter infant formula (IF) aroma during storage. The results showed that the aldehyde and ketone content in the milk formula increased as the storage time was extended, while the lactone and terpenoid levels decreased significantly. The OAV indicated the presence of various major aromatic substances at different storage times. Considering consumer concern regarding product flavor, this study ascertained that monitoring substance changes during storage showed that 2-heptanone was a good indicator of milk flavor, dimethyl disulfide was a suitable indicator of protein degradation, and 3-methylbutanal, heptanal, hexanal, pentanal, and octanal were all good indicators of fat oxidation. The results of previous related studies were used to supplement the data in this work regarding the changes in IF during product shelf life and to provide support for controlling the flavor substances and quality during new product development.

Consumer preferences for food products serve as a fundamental factor that influences purchasing and utilization decisions. Consumer preferences for infant formula (IF) are predominantly determined by its aroma characteristics. This study examined the volatile flavor compounds (VOC), aroma characteristics of IF detected via GC-ion mobility spectrometry (IMS), quantitative descriptive analysis, and consumer testing, respectively, hoping to provide a novel perspective for enterprise quality control. The results indicate that GC-IMS can be used for the rapid analysis of VOC in IF. Correlation analyses between consumer preferences and sensory profiles revealed that overall liking (OL) displayed a significant positive association with milky and creamy flavors, and a highly negative correlation with fishy and oxidation aromas. Of the 4 key sensory profiles, fishy and creamy flavors had a notably stronger effect on OL than oxidation and milky aromas. The results of the 2-way orthogonal partial least squares analyses indicated that acetoin (B6), (Z)-4-heptenal (A12), β-pinene (G1), o-xylene (G6), 3-octanone (B9), 1-hexanal (A7), 2-methylpropanol (C6), nonanal (A2), and 2-methyl butanal (A4) could be used to predict the sensory intensity associated with IF, and consequently consumer preference. This study aimed to provide a foundational data source for IF quality control and consumer preference maintenance, as well as a stable, rapid aroma analysis process for IF-related products.