Volatile composition and sensory characteristics of onion powders prepared by convective drying

- Dipropyl disulfide was the major volatile compound in fresh onion.
- The amount of dipropyl disulfide dramatically decreased during convective drying.
- Thiophenes and aldehydes were major aroma contributors in dried onion.
- Changes in volatile composition resulted in different sensory profile.

Volatile composition and sensory characteristics of onion powders prepared by convective drying at different temperatures (50, 70, and 90 °C) were investigated. Dipropyl disulfide was the major volatile compound in fresh onion (77.70% of total volatile compounds). However it was considerably lost during drying, reaching 6.93-32.25 µg/g solids. Dipropyl disulfide showed a positive correlation with green sensory attribute perceived by descriptive sensory analysis. Thiophenes, which were responsible for caramel and sweet attributes, were produced by drying especially when the drying temperature was high. Aldehydes, another type of volatile compound found in fresh onion, showed a positive correlation with humidity. The aldehyde content in dried onion was the highest at the lowest drying temperature, possibly because the aldehydes were produced by the residual enzymes in fresh onion. Using a low temperature for drying was ideal to retain the aroma of fresh onion.