Studies on flavour and sensory quality of ready-to-use gravy base

Ready-to-use gravy base (onion + garlic + ginger) was prepared and the changes in flavour profile and sensory quality of them packed in plastic jars, flexible LDPE pouches, laminated pouches and plastic cups were monitored during storage in order to assess the shelf-life of product. Out of seventeen compounds identified in the essential oil extracted from the gravy bases, turmerones accounted for 30 per cent of the oil followed by cumin aldehyde (25 per cent) and others. After six months of storage tee losses in flavouring compounds were found to be maximum in LDPE pouches at both ambient (15–31 °C) and refrigeration (5 ± 2°C) temperature followed by the other packaging materials. Ready-to-use gravy base remained stable up to six months of storage with respect to organoleptic quality and storage stability irrespective of storage temperature and packaging material. The changes in flavour and sensory score could not be correlated.