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H2S Flavour Standard
The H2S flavour standard is an essential sensory training reference used by beverage professionals to identify the characteristic “sulphurous” or “rotten egg” off-flavour caused by hydrogen sulphide (H₂S). Understanding and recognising this flavour note helps ensure product quality and prevent contamination in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
We ship globally – shipping costs may apply depending on your region
Minimum Order: £275
WHAT IS H2S FLAVOUR?
H2S flavour refers to the distinctive sulphurous, rotten egg–like aroma caused by hydrogen sulphide gas. This volatile compound occurs naturally during fermentation and microbial activity and has a very low sensory threshold, detectable at concentrations ranging from 5 µg/L to 125 µg/L.
At low levels, H₂S may impart a fresh character in certain beverages, but at higher concentrations, it becomes unpleasant, stench-like, and off-putting to consumers.
WHAT CAUSES H2S OFF-FLAVOUR?
The cause of H2S flavour depends on the type of beverage being produced:
In Alcoholic Beverages
- Yeast metabolism during fermentation and maturation can generate hydrogen sulphide.
- Stressed yeast (due to nutrient deficiency or improper handling) may release excessive H₂S.
- Microbial contamination after fermentation can further increase the presence of sulphurous compounds.
In Non-Alcoholic Beverages
- Bacterial contamination of raw materials or finished products.
- Decomposing organic matter in ingredients or process water.
- Source water contamination—hydrogen sulphide, naturally present in water, can carry through processing.
- Contaminated gas lines or storage tanks used for carbonation may introduce hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) into beverages.
Understanding these causes helps quality teams diagnose process issues and prevent undesirable flavours before they reach consumers.
USING THE H2S FLAVOUR STANDARD FOR SENSORY TRAINING
The FlavorActiV H2S GMP Flavour Standard is used globally by sensory panels and quality assurance teams to:
- – Train tasters to identify sulphurous or rotten egg notes with precision.
- – Calibrate tasting panels for consistent detection of H₂S across batches.
- – Benchmark sensory thresholds and determine acceptable flavour levels in different beverage categories.
- – Support corrective action by identifying contamination or process-related causes.
By incorporating this GMP flavour standard into your sensory training programme, you can strengthen your team’s ability to detect and manage off-flavours early in production.
HOW TO RECOGNISE H2S FLAVOUR: SENSORY TERMS
To recognise H2S flavour, look for these sensory descriptors:
- Sulphurous: A sharp, chemical-like aroma.
- Rotten egg: The classic, unmistakable scent of hydrogen sulphide.
- Stench/Rotten: Strong, unpleasant odours that signal spoilage or contamination.
Training with the H2S flavour standard helps tasters confidently identify these notes, even at low concentrations.
WHAT ARE THE PROFESSIONAL APPLICATIONS OF THE H2S FLAVOUR STANDARD?
The H2S flavour standard is widely applied across the beverage industry, including:
- Brewing and distilling – identifying fermentation faults and yeast stress.
- Soft drink and water production – detecting bacterial contamination or process water issues.
- Sensory training laboratories – enhancing taster accuracy and calibration.
- Quality assurance teams – maintaining product consistency and compliance with industry standards.
It is recognised and recommended by both the American Society of Brewing Chemists (ASBC) and the European Brewing Chemists (EBC).
OTHER INFORMATION
Beer Flavour Wheel Number: 0721
H2S Flavour Level: 5 ug to 125 ug / l
Recommended flavour standard / sensory reference standard of: American Society of Brewing Chemists (ASBC) and the European Brewing Chemists (EBC)
FlavorActiV GMP Flavour Standards
Only Pharmaceutical Quality GMP Flavour Standards provide sufficient quality for professional sensory panels to train and validate with.
We produce encapsulated GMP (Pharmaceutical Good Manufacturing Practice) Flavour Standards that are safe to both smell and drink. The compounds within our capsules impart the aroma, taste and mouthfeel of a specific defect or positive flavour into a beverage for the purposes of taster training, calibration and quality control.
Our individual flavour GMP Flavour Standards are sold by flavour, each flavour pack contains 5 capsules, each separately blister packaged. Our sensory kits contain a mixture of flavours, each separately blister packaged, read the product description for flavour details.
We ship globally, and have over 20 years of experience at it. Our GMP Pharmaceutical Flavour Standards are produced to the highest standards, and as such, their shelf-life is strong and their quality consistent.
FlavorActiV’s flavour centre is the world’s only pharmaceutically run facility dedicated to the production of flavour reference standards. The Flavour Centre is a state-of-the-art facility housed within the campus of world-renowned Quay Pharma near Liverpool in the U.K.
The Flavour Centre was designed by FlavorActiV from the ground up at the direct request of global customers as they looked to move away from inferior food grade ‘certified flavour standards’ to GMP Pharma, a standard that ensures safe, stable, traceable, consistent and long shelf-life products.
All FlavorActiV’s industry-leading encapsulated flavour standards are manufactured following GMP at our Flavour Centre. All aspects of manufacture are overseen by Quay Pharma who are audited by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.K. Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory agency (MHRA). We also welcome customer audits.
Only FlavorActiV GMP flavour standard capsules bear our mark of authenticity.
We brand each of our capsules so that our customers know they’re getting the Pharmaceutical GMP Quality that only FlavorActiV provide.
Industry leading packaging and shelf-life
FlavorActiV flavour standards are blister packaged, which extends shelf-life and protects capsules from potential contamination. The average shelf-life of FlavorActiV flavour standards is 18 months to 4 years, depending on the flavour compounds.
We will never ship in pots or plastic packaging, here’s why…
Blister packaging protects capsules from the environment until they are ready for use. Blister packaging greatly reduces the amount of headspace for possible flavour escape. As each capsule individually blister packaged, making use of one capsule still leaves all others protected. FlavorActiV Flavour Standard packaging is 100% recyclable, as opposed to polypropylene which is not widely recycled.
Pots are semi-porous, they allow molecules to pass through and flavour to be lost, their significant headspace also adds to substantial flavour escape as a gas, even when using just one capsule all those remaining in the pot are exposed.
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