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CSA Flavor Science & Sensory Chemistry Flashcards

6 cards from real CSA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 6 CSA Flavor Science & Sensory Chemistry flashcards as text

  1. Which compound is primarily responsible for the characteristic 'corked' taint (TCA) in wine?

    Answer: 2,4,6-Trichloroanisole (TCA)

    2,4,6-Trichloroanisole (TCA) is produced by microbial methylation of chlorophenols in cork and wood, and has an extremely low detection threshold (~5 ng/L) causing musty, corked off-flavors in wine.

  2. The 'cooling' sensation of menthol is produced by its activation of which temperature-sensitive ion channel?

    Answer: TRPM8

    Menthol activates the TRPM8 channel, which is normally gated by cold temperatures (below ~26°C), producing the characteristic cooling sensation without actually lowering tissue temperature.

  3. In sensory flavor science, the term 'retronasal olfaction' refers to:

    Answer: Aroma perception via volatile compounds traveling from the mouth to the olfactory epithelium through the posterior nares

    Retronasal olfaction occurs when volatile compounds released from food in the mouth travel through the nasopharynx to reach the olfactory epithelium, contributing to the integrated perception of flavor.

  4. Tannins contribute astringency to red wine by which primary mechanism?

    Answer: Binding and precipitating salivary proline-rich proteins

    Tannins (polyphenols) bind to salivary proline-rich proteins through hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions, causing them to precipitate and reducing the lubricating capacity of saliva, producing the drying, puckering astringent sensation.

  5. Which sensory phenomenon occurs when adaptation to one taste quality reduces the perceived intensity of a different taste quality?

    Answer: Cross-adaptation

    Cross-adaptation occurs when prolonged exposure to one tastant reduces sensitivity to a different tastant, indicating shared receptor mechanisms or central processing pathways between the two taste qualities.

  6. Which chemical reaction is primarily responsible for the development of rancid, stale off-flavors in fats and oils upon storage?

    Answer: Lipid oxidation (autoxidation)

    Autoxidation of unsaturated fatty acids via free radical chain reactions produces aldehydes, ketones, and other volatile compounds (e.g., hexanal, 2-nonenal) responsible for rancid, cardboard, and stale off-flavors.