Gas Chromatography‐Based Methods for Profiling Volatile Off‐Aroma Compounds in Grain Legumes: A Review

ABSTRACT Instrumental characterisation of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs), responsible for off‐aroma, is mainly centred on gas chromatography‐based techniques. Despite previous reviews that have addressed the chemical compounds and biosynthetic pathways of off‐aroma generation, to date, there is a lack of a comprehensive review that critically evaluates and compares the different isolation methods, quantification techniques and gas chromatography‐based analytical instrumentation employed for characterising volatile off‐aroma compounds in legumes and legume‐based food products. Considering this paucity of knowledge, this review critically analyses the strengths and weaknesses of VOC extraction techniques and quantification methods used in gas chromatography‐based techniques to determine off‐aroma compounds. Special emphasis is also placed on the selection criteria for optimal column chemistries and detector configurations that influence analytical performance, with the aim of guiding method development for accurate and reliable off‐aroma profiling in common legumes used in everyday life. This is supported by a concise summary of different off‐aroma characterisation studies conducted over the last 6 years on legumes. The overarching aim is to offer researchers a comparative perspective to support method selection, identify knowledge gaps and guide future research directions, providing recommendations where possible. Accurate identification of these off‐aroma compounds is crucial in order to develop mitigation strategies to remove or limit their impact on flavour, enhancing product acceptability.