Odour activity value

{{short description|Scientific measure related to flavors}}

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Odour activity value (OAV) is a measure of importance of a specific compound to the odour of a sample (e.g. food). It is calculated as the ratio between the concentration of individual substance in a sample and the threshold concentration of this substance (odour threshold value, the minimal concentration that can be detected by human nose).{{Cite journal|last=Guth|first=H.|date=1997-08-01|title=Quantitation and Sensory Studies of Character Impact Odorants of Different White Wine Varieties|journal=Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry|volume=45|issue=8|pages=3027–3032|doi=10.1021/jf970280a|issn=0021-8561}}