Effect of salt in tomato juice on the intensity of the “green aroma”

The perception of food is affected by various tastes, aromas, and other sensory factors. In this study, we investigated the effect of salt addition on the flavor profile of tomato juice, focusing on the interaction between salty taste and so-called “green aroma” intensity. Sensory evaluation was conducted to compare the flavor profiles of tomato juice before and after salt addition. The green aroma was further analyzed without oral tasting. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was used to quantify the levels of key aroma compounds: hexanal, E-2-hexenal, and Z-3-hexenol. Sensory evaluation revealed that the addition of salt significantly enhanced the intensities of the “umami” and “koku” flavors (p＜0.05, p＜0.01) but reduced the intensity of the green aroma (p＝0.003–0.143). This interaction between taste and aroma has not been previously reported. Further, the effect of salt on aroma intensity was concentration-dependent. No significant change in green aroma intensity was observed with the addition of sweet, sour, umami, or bitter components, nor when the green aroma was evaluated without tasting. GC/MS analysis confirmed that the levels of hexanal, E-2-hexenal, and Z-3-hexenol remained unaffected by salt addition. These findings suggest that the salinity of tomato juice exerts a cross-modal effect on the perceived intensity of the green aroma.