Analysis of furaneol in tomato using dynamic headspace sampling with sodium sulfate

High-flow dynamic headspace sampling with excess anhydrous sodium sulfate w as found to be an effective method of isolating Furaneol from fresh tomatoe s. Quantitative analysis was carried out by gas chromatography using maltol as internal standard. Furaneol was found in the highest concentrations (66 0-1100 ppb) in the summer crop of home-grown tomatoes and in some of the gr eenhouse hydroponically grown tomatoes, which are ripened on the plant befo re being transported to the supermarkets. Furaneol was found in the lowest concentrations (38-180 ppb) in the common ethylene-ripened, field-grown, su permarket tomatoes.