The chemistry of fresh tomato flavor

Tomato flavor results from taste components, aromatic volatiles and a complex interaction between them. Lack of characteristic flavor in supermarket tomatoes is a common consumer complaint. Sugars, organic acids, free amino acids, and salts are the main taste components. With over 400 volatile compounds identified, only thirty are present in concentrations over one ppb and of these, only 16 contribute significantly to the perceptible flavor. Radiolabeled substrate and enzyme denaturation studies have indicated involvement of some pathway enzymes in the biosynthesis of tomato aroma compounds. Studies of fresh tomato flavor are important for the efforts at improving fruit quality through genetic modifications by molecular techniques.