Use of n-butanol as an odorant to standardize the organoleptic scale of breath odour judges.

Objective: The alcohol n-butanol has been recommended for use as a standard odorant by various groups for the training or standardization of breath odour judges and sensory evaluation panels. The objective of this study is to assess the use of n-butanol as a suitable odorant for organoleptic training of breath judges.

Methods: One judge with full smell acuity was trained in the method of organoleptic assessment using odorant solutions of main chemical classes (acids, amines, indole and sulphides) with the exception of alcohols.