A process for stabilizing an aroma-providing component such as coffee aroma against loss or degradation of desirable flavor or sensory characteristics of its aroma during storage. The aroma-providing component is associated with a stabilizing agent in an amount effective to chemically interact with undesirable compounds to form a stabilized aroma-providing component which (a) retains a significant portion of one or more of the desirable flavor or sensory characteristics of the aroma in the aroma-containing component during storage, or (b) reduces off flavor generation during storage of the aroma-providing component. The stabilizing agent preferably is a nucleophile that contains sulfur or nitrogen, such as sulfur dioxide, sulfites, compounds that contain or generate thiols, amines or amino acids, cysteine, gluathione or an enzyme. The stabilized aroma-providing component retains the desirable flavor and sensory characteristics of the aroma for a time period of at least six months to one year or longer.