Comparison of gas-sampled and SPME-Sampled static headspace for the determination of volatile flavor components

Traditional static headspace and headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPM E) techniques were compared for their effectiveness in the extraction of vo latile flavor compounds from the headspace of various juice samples; Each m ethod was used to evaluate the responses of certain analytes from real samp les and calibration standards in order to provide sensitivity comparisons b etween the two techniques. Experimental results showed traditional static h eadspace lacked the sensitivity needed to evaluate certain flavor volatiles , such as alpha-terpinene and linalool, and that further concentration of t he headspace was necessary. Dramatic improvements in the extraction abiliti es of the SPME fibers over the traditional static headspace method were not ed. Different SPME fibers were investigated to determine the selectivities of the various fibers to the different flavor compounds present in the juic e samples. Of the various fibers investigated, the PDMS/DVB fiber proved to be the most useful for these analyses. Aging studies of juice samples were also performed which verified that degradation could be observed and quant ified.