COMPILATION OF ODOR AND TASTE THRESHOLD VALUES DATA Sponsored by Committee E-18 on Sensory Evaluation of Materials and Products AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR TESTING AND MATERIALS Edited by F A Fazzalari International Business Machines Hopewell Junction, N Y ASTM DATA SERIES DS 48A List price $27.50 05-048010-36 AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR TESTING AND MATERIALS 1916 Race Street, Philadelphia, Pa 19103 Copyright © by AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR TESTING AND MATERIALS 1978 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 77-83047 NOTE The Society is not responsible, as a body, for the statements and opinions advanced in this publication Printed in Baltimore, Md February 1978 Foreword The editor would like to express his sincere appreciation to the members of ASTM Committee E-18 on Sensory Evaluation and Products and to the employees of the organizations listed below who gave freely of their time while their employers financed this endeavor: Baker, B B., Plastic Products and Resins Department, Experimental Station, E I duPont de Nemours & Co., Wilmington, Delaware 19898 Comproni, E M., Massachusetts Division Air and Hazardous Materials, 600 Washington Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111 Dravnieks, Andrew, Illinois Institute of Technology, Research Institute, 10 West 35th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60616 Dunbar, Betty I., Analytical Division, Research Center, Hercules, Inc., Wilmington, Delaware 19899 Ford, Mark, Doe Run Plant, Olin Corporation, Box 547, Brandenburg, Kentucky 40108 Freeman, S K., Research & Development Center, International Flavors and Fragrances, Union Beach, New Jersey 07735 Galetto, W G, Research & Development Laboratories, McCormick & Company, Inc., 204 Wight Avenue, Hunt Valley, Maryland 21031 Genser, Marion Vaisey, Department of Foods and Nutrition, The University of Manitoba, Faculty of Home Economics, Winnipeg, Canada R3T 2N2 Hoffman, Pat, Research & Development Laboratories, McCormick & Company Inc., 204 Wight Avenue, Hunt Valley, Maryland 21031 Hubbard, Robert F., Systems Products Division, International Business Machines Corp., Hopewell Junction, New York 12533 Land, Derek G., Agricultural Research Council, Food Research Institute, Colney Lane, Norwich NR4 7UA, England Masurat, Thomas, Warner-Lambert Research Institute, 170 Tabor Road, Morris Plains, New Jersey 07950 McCord, Carolyn, Marschall Division, Miles Laboratories, Inc., Elkhart, Indiana 46514 Potter, Richard H., New Jersey 07014 Givaudon Corporation, 100 Delawanna Avenue, Clifton, Powers, John J., Department of Food Science, The University of Georgia, College of Agriculture, Athens, Georgia 30602 Prell, Patricia A., U.S Army Natick and Development Command, Natick, Massachusetts 01760 Tibbetts, Merrick, S Pepsico Inc., 4500 Fifth Street, Long Island City, New York 11101 von Sydow, Erik, The Swedish Food Institute, Goteborg, Sweden Citations presented in the first edition, edited by W H Stahl are pertinent because we used it as a base for the second edition A significant number of the compounds reported on in the first edition have been given to us from the personal files of Dr Birger Drake of the Swedish Food Institute As editor of the second edition, I am most grateful to Professor John Powers, University of Georgia for his diligent support during the preparation of this work Many thanks go to Bill Galetto and Pat Hoffman, McCormick & Company, for supplying and checking the Wiswesser Line Notations A special note of thanks goes to Bob Hubbard, International Business Machines Corp., for his programming the human errors out of our data collection and keypunching as well as running the programs required to produce the tables used in this edition The abstractors, Andy Dravieks, Betty Dunbar, Mark Ford, Marion Genser, Derek Land, Carolyn McCord, and John Powers deserve an extra special note of thanks for the hours spent reading the references and providing the record for the data collection sheets Related ASTM Publications Correlating Sensory Objective Measurements, STP 594 (1976), $13.00, 04-594000-17 Sensory Evaluation of Appearance of Materials, STP 545 (1973), $19.75, 04545000-36 Correlation of Subjective-Objective Methods in the' Study of Odors and Taste, STP 440 (1968), $5.75, 04-440000-36 Manual on Sensory Testing Methods, STP 434 (1968), $4.25, 04-434000-36 Basic Principles of Sensory Evaluation, STP 433 (1968), $5.75, 04-433000-36 Contents Introduction Description of the Compilation and Codes Used References with an Explanation of CODEN Table 1—Alphabetical Listing of Chemicals, with Data and Bibliography Table 2—Alphabetical Listing Versus a Code Number (Not Always the Same as DS 48, First Edition) 167 Table 3—Code Number Sequence Versus Chemical Name (Reverse of Table 2) 213 Table 4—Molecular Formula Sequence Versus Code Numbers (Plural) 259 Table 5—Wiswesser Line Notation (WLN) Permuted Listing Versus Code Number 283 Table 6—Alphabetical Reference Listing Versus Alphabetical Chemical Name and Code Number 437 Fig 1—Data Collection Sheet, Record Layout 494 Fig 2—Record Layout Instructions with Sample 495 Index to WLN Permuted Index 496 Reply Form for Users—Corrections and Additions to DS 48A 499 DS48A-EB/Feb 1978 Introduction Sensory problems are increasingly coming to the fore as man attempts to improve his food and stem the tide of water and air pollution Basic data need to be collated and new knowledge acquired One purpose of this publication is to tabulate the threshold values of odor and taste substances The compilation also serves as the first step in determining gaps in knowledge Recent analytical advances such as gas chromatography and mass spectrometry have permitted the isolation and identification of compounds at rates and at concentration levels scarcely dreamed of a decade ago, but nonetheless, man often is capable of responding to substances at even greater dilution levels This, however, is not an irresolvable problem Through suitable concentration means, the odor or the taste substance can be generally brought within the range of present analytical methods, but one has to be able to relate the chemical determination back to the level detectable by man Knowledge of threshold values is thus of paramount importance In the control of water and air pollution, threshold determinations are used to evaluate the effectiveness of different treatments and to establish the level of odor control necessary to make the product acceptable Therefore, threshold data may be incorporated into regulatory specifications to define permissible odor limits, for example, from dieselpowered equipment or industrial waste discharges The flavor of foods is generally a complex mixture of compounds The first step in evaluating the importance of different components is to obtain information about the threshold value of the pure material Data on threshold values are scattered widely in the literature Probably even more is unpublished The collecting of available data into one monograph for comparative purposes should serve two purposes, aside from those already mentioned Hopefully, those possessing unpublished data will make it available either through publication or submission to an agency such as Committee E-18 of the American Society for Testing and Materials so that the data can be added to future editions of the present compilation The second benefit related to the problem the Committee encountered in assembling the data There are questions as to the reliability of many of the values listed Experimental procedures and precautions followed in obtaining the Copyright © 1978 by ASTM International data were seldom described in unequivocal terms Often critical conditions of testing were not described at all The collating of information should serve not only to point up where there are gaps but also to make evident that standardization of test procedures and full reporting of test conditions are needed if data are to be fully trustworthy A clear consistent definition of threshold terminology is requisite to any effort to classify data To this end, the appropriate terms contained in a previous Committee publication (ASTM Designation E 253-67T) have been used They are: detection threshold, n—the minimum physical intensity detection by a subject where he is not required to identify the stimulus but just detect the existence of the stimulus difference threshold, n—the smallest physical difference between two stimuli which can be correctly identified as sensorially different (The British Standard Institution puts it more simply, the smallest change in concentrations of a substance required to give a perceptible change.) just noticeable difference or JND, n—See difference threshold recognition threshold, n—the minimum physical intensity detected by a subject where he is required to identify the stimulus in some manner (The British Standards Institution puts it more simply: the lowest concentration at which a substance is correctly identified.) supra-threshold, n—above the threshold Also called supraliminal threshold, absolute, n—the minimum physical intensity of stimulus that elicits a response a specified percent of the time Synonym limen threshold, terminal, n—(1) the maximum intensity of a stimulus that will produce a given type of sensory experience without change in modality (2) intensity of stimulation above which increase in intensity cannot be detected (The British Standards Institution: the concentrations of a substance above which changes in concentration are not perceptible.) In the foregoing list, the presence of three terms www.astm.org REFERENCE LISTING VERSUS CHEMICAL NAMES AND CODE NUMBERS 940 899 944 256 292 868 20 236 901 950 559 902 49 245 253 255 241 C13 918 75 903 272 905 52 735 904 951 24 275 915 930 248 234 897 948 252 752 906 53 264 738 262 880 927 263 881 928 178 243 882 917 883 266 898 947 268 COUMARIN DICHLOROETHYLENE DIISOAMYL SULFI0E DIMETHYL TR I THIQCARBONATE ETHANAU ACETALDEHYDE) ETHANALfACETALDEHYDE) ETHANAU ACE TALDEHYDE) ETHANEDITHIOL ETHANEOITHIOL ETHANEDITHIOL ETHANETHIOLIETHYL MERCAPTAN) ETHANETHIOL(ETHYL MERCAPTAN) ETHANETHIOLIETHYL MERCAPTAN) ETHYL ISOTHICCYANATE ETHYL SELENOMERCAPTAN ETHYL SELENOMERCAPTAN ETHYL SULFIDE ETHYL SULFIDE ETHYL SULFIDE HYDROGEN SULFIDE HYDROGEN SULFIDE METHANETHIQLIMETHYL MERCAPTAN) METHANETHIOL(METHYL MERCAPTAN) METHANETHIQL(METHYL MERCAPTAN) METHYL ANTHRANILATE METHYL ANTHRANILATE METHYL ANTHRANILATE METHYL SULFIDE METHYL SULFIDE METHYL SULFIDE METHYL SULFIDE METHYL THIC1CYANATE METHYL-INDQLE* SCATOLE) MUSK XYLENEI SYNTHETIC MUSK,NITRO MUSK) MUSK XYLENEtSYNTHETIC MUSKfNITRO MUSK) MUSTARD GAS NITROBENZENE NITROBENZENE NITROBENZENE OXIDIZED OIL PENTENE PENTYL ACETATE PENTYL ACETATE PENTYL ACETATE PENTYL ISOVALERATE PEMTYL ISOVALERATE PENTYL ISOVALERATE PENTYL MERCAPTAN PENTYL MERCAPTAN PENTYL MERCAPTAN PENTYL MERCAPTAN PENTYL SULFIDE PHENYL ETHER PHENYL ETHER PHENYL ETHER PHENYL ISONITRILE 487 488 COMPILATION OF ODOR AND TASTE THRESHOLD VALUES DATA 910 916 247 909 955 900 946 438 914 919 770 907 729 869 921 258 912 943 270 233 908 954 957 239 £ £QB A Perfumery and Essential Oil Record 965 966 277 276 £££^fi PHENYL ISONITRILE PHENYL ISONITRILE PHENYL ISOTHIOCYANATE PHENYL IS0THIGCY4MATE PHENYL ISOTHIOCYANATE PHENYL SULFIDE PHENYL SULFIDE PHENYL SULFIDE PICRIC ACIO PRGPANALIPROPIONALOEHYDEI PROPANAL(PROPICNALDENYDE) PROPANETHIOL PROPANETHI'lL PRQPENAL(ACROLEIN) PROPENAL(ACROLEIN) PROPENAL(ACROLEl^l) PROPYL SULFIDE PROPYL SULFIDE PROPYL SULFIDE PROPYIMAL PYRIDINE PYRIDINE PYRIDINE THIOCRESOL TOLUENETHIOL BUTANOIC ACID(8UTYRIC ACID) BUTANOIC AC ID(BUTYRIC ACID) EXALTONE NONALACTONE Perception and Psychophysics 1056 2227 2228 2229 2230 2231 2193 2200 1057 2195 2202 2194 2201 ALLYL I SOTHIOCYANATE CITRIC ACID CITRIC ACID CITRIC ACID CITRIC ACID CITRIC ACID CYCLOHEXANE CYCLOHEXANE CYCLOHEXAN:)NE CYCLOHFXANQNE CYCLOHEXANONE CYCLOOCTANE CYCLOOCTANE REFERENCE LISTING VERSUS CHEMICAL NAMES AND CODE NUMBERS 1054 1C53 2192 2199 2196 2203 2266 2267 2268 2197 2204 1059 1060 1061 1062 1052 2191 2198 2277 2278 2281 2282 1063 1058 2190 2237 1055 2232 2233 2234 2235 2236 2263 2264 2265 2207 2208 2209 2210 2211 2217 2218 2219 2220 2221 2269 2270 271 2275 2276 2279 2280 2222 2223 2224 2225 DI METHYL-1,3-C YCLOHXAD HEPTANOL HEXANOL HEXANOL HEXYLACETATE HEXYLACETOTE HYDROCHLORIC ACIO HYDROCHLORIC ACID HYDROCHLORIC ACIO METHYL IS03UTYL KETONE METHYL IS09UTYL KETCNE METHYL ISONITRILE METHYL ISONITRILE METHYL ISONITRILE METHYL ISONITRILE OCTANOL(OCTYL ALCOHOL) PENTANOL PENTANOL PHENETYLUREA PHENETYLUREA PHENETYLUREA PHENETYLUREA PHENYL ISONITRILE PHENYL ISOTHIOCYANATE PROPANOL PROPANOL PROP YLACE TONE QUININE HYDROCHLORIOE QUININE HYDROCHLORIOE QUININE HYDROCHLORIOE QUININE HYDROCHLORIOE QUININE HYDROCHLORIOE QUININE SULFATE QUININE SULFATE QUININE SULFATE SODIUM CHLORIDE SODIUM CHLORIDE SODIUM CHLORIDE SODIUM CHLORIDE SODIUM CHLORIDE SODIUM CHLORIDE SODIUM CHLORIDE SODIUM CHLORIDE SODIUM CHLORIDE SODIUM CHLORIDE SODIUM CHLORIDE SODIUM CHLORIDE SODIUM CHLORIDE SODIUM CHLORIDE SODIUM CHLORIDE SODIUM CHLORIDE SODIUM CHLORIDE SUCROSE SUCROSE SUCROSE SUCROSE 489 490 COMPILATION OF ODOR AND TASTE THRESHOLD VALUES DATA 2226 2272 2273 2274 2212 2213 2214 2215 2216 SUCROSE SUCROSE SUCROSE SUCROSE UREA UREA UREA UREA UREA ££B£2 93 85 92 86 87 81 82 78 79 76 88 689 80 96 77 89 697 83 90 91 94 95 97 98 84 SMDJiA CAFFEINE CITRIC ACID CITRIC ACID DIMETHYL OISULFIQE DIMETHYL DISULFIDE HEPTANONE HEPTANONE HEXANAL HEXANAL HYDROXY-3-METHGXY 3ENZALDEHYDE(VANILLIN) IONONE, BGMETHANAL(FORMALOEHYDE) METHIONAL METHIONAL METHYL BUTANALety^ 2238 ES.sxe SODIUM CHLORIDE SUCROSE SUCROSE SUCROSE ETHYL BENZOATE USSR Literature on Water Supply and Pollution Control 28 311 309 502 485 321 £21 308 307 ARACHIDIC ACID CHLORONITROS0CYCL0HEXANE CHL0R0PHENYL-P3-CL~BZN-S#a CHL0R0PHENYL-P3-CL-BZN-S#a COAL TAR CYCLOHEXANOL DECANOIC ACID(CAPJUC ACID) DICHL0R0BUTENE-2 DICHLOROCYCLOHEXAME 491 492 COMPILATION OF ODOR AND TASTE THRESHOLD VALUES DATA 306 305 304 322 504 629 613 324 612 624 319 318 626 317 533 617 615 359 628 565 316 531 532 315 529 323 314 30 358 320 310 313 625 622 458 I.XAP-A Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology 298 I£ARA OIETHYL DITHIOPHOSPHATe DIMETHYLDI0XANE-lt3 DIMETHYLDITHIOPHCSPHaRIC A ETHYLBENZENE ETHYLBENZENE HEPTADECANOIC AC 10 HEPTANOIC ACIO HEXACHLOROETHANE HEXANOIC ACIDICAPRQIC ACIO) LAURIC ACIO METHYL DEMETON METHYLAMINE MYRISTIC ACIO{TETRADECANOIC ACID) NITROCYCLOHEXANE NONAOECANOIC ACID NONANOIC ACIDtPELARGCNIC ACID) OCTANOIC ACID(CAPRYLIC ACID) PALMITIC ACIO PENTADECANOIC ACIO PENTANOIC ACID(VALERIC ACID) POLYCHLORQPINENE ^OLYGLYCOL ALKYL PHENYL E POLYGLYCOL ALKYL PHENYL E POT IPR2-DITHI0PHQSPHATE POTASSIUM OIETHYLOITHI0P3 PRENE SODIUM 2,4-D SODIUM 2t4-D STEARIC ACIDIOCTADECANOIC ACID) TETRACHLOROETHANE TRICHLORGCN TRICHLOROETHYLENE TRIDECANOIC ACID UNDECANOIC ACID WOOD TAR NAPTHA See TXAPA 2297 STODDERD SOLVENT REFERENCE LISTING VERSUS CHEMICAL NAMES AND CODE NUMBERS HLQQ& Wallerstein Laboratories Communications 2291 2287 2290 2296 2289 2292 2293 2294 2285 2295 2288 2286 AMYL ACETATE BUTANOL BUTYLACETATE „ „.„, DECANOIC ACIDtCAPRIC ACI0> ETHYL ACETATE ETHYL CAPRQATE ETHYL CAPRYLATECETHYL OCTANOATEI HEXANOIC ACIDCCAPROIC ACID) METHYL-8UTAN0L „ _, OCTANOIC ACIDCCAPRYLIC ACID) PHENYLETHA^OL PROPANOL 493 RECORD LAYOUT DATA SET NAME OS NAME E18.04.01 DS48 chemical name 10 20 'is' 25 'zi ' 30 40" ' 45 50 55 60' ' ' ' ' ' '10 ' ' ' T MO code CARD #3 '15' ' 20 ME p 5' CODES 01 02 03 04 ' 25' ' 30 ' 35' ' M wt Journal threshold ' \i ' 40 yr 'is' 10 ' ' • '20' ' Parts per million Micromoles/mole % by volume Milligrams/liter (gas) ' ' 05 06 07 08 '23' ' ' 'so' ' ' ' '33* ' ' ' '40* ' 'so' ' vol units ASTM THRESHOLD UNITS '65' ' ' ' 'TO' ' ? '75' ' ' • eo ' ' ' W ' ' Milligrams/liter (liquid) Parts per billion Micrograms/cubic meter Pounds /million cubic feet i i 4J page ss • W '^ ^W ' ,T ^' ' W ' ' ' 80 primary author USE CODES ONLY ' 09 10 11 12 ' 30 ' 33 60 Moles/liter grc/100/ml (water) gm/ml (air) Normality 63 13 14 15 16 70 ' gm/1 (water) % Molal mg/kg '73' ' 17 18 19 20 ' " 80 ' ' S3' Molecules/cc mg/100 ml mg/dl gm/1 (gas) prefix code chemical name empirical formula ',0' code ' ' ' 'is' 20 5' ' 'lO 'zd ' 15 T HO ASTM CODES ~ TYPE MODALITY MEDIA PURITY «' gm/ml (water) Micromoles '—r-T—r-r 35 30 45 40 50 55 60 65 ' 70 75 80 1 85 90 95 MOLECULAR STRUCTURE 10 code CARD #3 25 WLN ASTM 21 22 '«0 CARD #2 ' ' ' ' notes ASTM ' ' ' ' —1—•—1—r-r—1—1—1 —i—I—r-T—1—1—1—r—i—1—1—1—r—i—i—I—r- CARD #1 • '*) ' ' ' W ' • ' ' MOLECULAR STRUCTURE ASTM ' notes WIN VSode CARD #2 ' OF empirical formula ASTM ' PAGE TWO COMPOUNDS PER PAGE prefix code CARD »1 DATE PROGRAMMER NO ME W ' P 25 threshold 35 30 M Wt Journal '40 yr ' 45 50 vol page ' ^53* ' 60 65 ao y i i y i y i i 75 primary author USE CODES ONLY units '20' ' ' ' '25' '30' ' 35 40' 45 ' ' '50' ' ' '55' • ' ' w • ' ' '65' ' TYPE: Detection-1; Recognition-2; Not Specif ied-3; to are open; Other-9 MODALITY: Taste-1; Odor-2; to are open; Other-9 MEDIA: Air-1; Water-2; Milk-3; Skim Milk-4; Paraffin Oil-5; to 98 are open; Other-99 PURITY: Chem Pure-1; Comm Pure-2; Not Specified-3; GC (99.8%)-4; to are open; Other-9 ' 'TO' ' ' '751 ' ' ' 80 • • • y • • • y • • Chemical Abstracts empirical (molecular) formula indexing system: C a H b (alphabetical order) ' ' ' V ' ' ' W ' ' ' 'is' ' ' ' Vd ' ' ' W ' ' ' 'id ' ' ' W ' ' ' '401 ' ' ' '«' ' ' ' 'so' ' ' ' W ' ' ' W ' ' ' U ' ' ' '7d ' ' ' W ' ' ' W ' ' ' W ' ' ' W ' ' ' W ' ' ' ' FIG I—Data collection sheet, RECORD LAYOUT, used by abstractors when searching the literature for the second edition, DS 48A; two compounds per page RECORD LAYOUT DATA SET NAME OS NAME NO E18.04.01 DS48 0505/xxxx INSTRUCTIONS and EXAMPLE DATE PROGRAMMER NAME OF ABSTRACTOR PAGE Mo./Day/Yr X N 0F EMPIRICAL FORMULA CARD #1 CODE INSTRUCTIONS PREFIX ASTM 10 , use Chemical Abstracts indexing system CHEMICAL NAME NOTES v 20 CARD #2 29 30 35 40 49 90 '99 ' ' ' «o' ' ' ' 'S3' ' ' ' "TO ' ' ' '751 ' ' 60 ' ' ' W ' ' ' '»d ' ' ' W ' ' ' ' WISWESSER LINE NOTATION WLN INSTRUCTIONS MOLECULAR STRUCTURE If you are not familiar with this notation, leave this area blank -1—i—1—T—1—1—i—t—i—1—1—1—r—T—r-i—1—r-j—i—i—i—T-T—i—I—I—r 30 3S 40 50 35 20 "13" ' ' ' W ' ' ' W ' CARD #3 THRESHOLD/ UNITS INSTRUCTIONS MOL Wt JOURNAL* PRIMARY AUTHOR USE CODES ONLY i—1—rn—T-T—r- -i—1—1—1—1—1—r—1—r~ 73 30 -1—1—rn—1—r—i—r INSTRUCTION NOTE •Journal Codes not listed in DS48 can be obtained from Dick Sherwood or ASTM DS23B, CODENS code CARD #1 SAMPLE DS48, p83 10 15 prefix EO 25 30 10 30 55 chemical name W ' ' ' 63 ' 7o' ' ' '73' ' • 80 empirical formula 15 2C 25 30 ' 65 39 40 45 90 59 60 65 70 75 10 coda CARD #3 ' 7>e- SO 55 ' 'S5 ' ' ' ' IXJ0I3C- 90 95 MOLECULAR STRUCTURE \STH ' '90 h£.r€L — notes 3>G SAMPLE DS48, p83 45 WL1J code CARD #2 SAMPLE 40 \STM DS48, p83 35 13 20 ME threshold P&