Influence of saliva composition and volume on flavour release from rehydrated French beans ( Phaseolus vulgaris) was studied in three types of mouth model systems; dynamic headspace (DH), dynamic headspace and mastication (DHM) and a purge-and-trap (PT) model system. Volatile compounds were analysed by gas chromatography, using flame ionization detection (FID), mass spectrometry and sniffing port detection. Areas of FID peaks were largest in the PT system, followed by those of the DHM and DH systems, respectively. Saliva composition as well as volume influenced the release of volatile compounds from rehydrated French beans. Generally, FID data showed a decrease in release by the saliva component mucin, because of interactions between volatile compounds and protein, and an increase in release by its α-amylase, probably due to degradation of inclusion complexes of starch. The decrease in flavour release by the enlarged saliva volume was evaluated by a model study. Sniffing patterns of odour active compounds were barely influenced by either saliva composition or volume. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]