More consumers have become aware of the existence of different cocoa genotypes and their origins, which resulted in a growing market of premium chocolates with single-origin beans. The question is whether traits of cocoa botanical and geographical origins still persist in the end product, especially when it is consumed. By analysing the concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the nose of subjects over time while they are eating, new insights about aroma release can be gained. In the current study, in vivo release of VOCs during consumption of dark chocolates with different botanical and geographical origins was examined. Proton Transfer Reaction-Quadrupole interface Time of Flight- Mass Spectrometry (PTR-Qi ToF- MS) was applied to analyse nosespace VOC profiles of 10 subjects while they were eating 10 different chocolates manufactured with beans of different botanical origins (Criollo-Forastero-Trinitario) and geographical origins (Africa-South America-Asia). The headspace of the chocolates were also analysed for comparison. Cocoa botanical information appeared to affect the nosespace profiles more than geographical information. The subjects varied considerable in their VOC release, and inter-individual differences were larger than cocoa beans differences. Nevertheless, the botanical origin was consistently reflected in the nosespace profile during eating. It was clearly possible to distinguish Criollo chocolates from the nosespace profiles despite inter-individual differences.

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is a valuable ingredient in plant-based foods such as meat and dairy analogues. However, its typical taste and aroma are considered off-flavours in these food applications, representing a bottleneck during processing. Breeding is needed to develop varieties with minimal off-flavours and high protein content. The genetic regulation of these traits is underexplored. To dissect their genetic architecture, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS). A total of 245 faba bean accessions (the CGN population) were genotyped using the 90K-SPET targeted assay. These accessions were phenotyped in 2021 and 2022 in the Netherlands for protein, oil, fatty acids, lipid-derived products, phenolic acids, flavonoids, and tannins. The CGN population showed large phenotypic variation and moderate-to-high narrow-sense heritability for most traits. The growing environment significantly affected all traits, with trait-specific genotype-by-year (GxY) interactions. Condensed tannins and fatty acids were the most stable across the two years and had the highest heritability estimates (h² > 0.6). GWAS identified a total of 148 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) loci in 2021 and 167 in 2022. Key candidate regulators included genes involved in lipid biosynthesis (ATS2, KAS, LPP), amino acid transport (CAT4) for protein storage, zero tannins locus-1 (zt-1), and regulators of the phenylpropanoid pathway, such as a shikimate kinase gene and transcription factors bHLH137-like and MYB. These results pave the way for validation studies and biotechnological applications to improve the quality of faba bean-based foods.