Effects of roasting temperature on the aroma components of carob (Ceratonia siliqua L)

The analysis of the volatile fraction of carob bean pulp during a roasting process between 10 and 60 min was performed. In all, 137 components (comprising ca. 98.0% of the total isolate) were positively identified. Acids, alcohols, and aldehydes represent 91.4% of the total of the identified compounds in raw carob. The levels of these compounds decreased steeply during the roasting process, representing 51.2% of the total as a result of the increasing amounts of furans, esters, and pyrroles in roasted carob, whose odor is more pleasant than that of raw carob and reminiscent of chocolate or cocoa and which could be used in foods as a flavoring agent.