Furan has recently received attention as a possibly hazardous compound occurring in certain thermally processed foods. Previous model studies have revealed three main precursor systems producing furan upon thermal treatment, i.e., ascorbic acid, Maillard precursors, and polyunsaturated lipids. We employed proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) as an on-line monitoring technique to study furan formation. Unambiguous identification and quantitation in the headspace was achieved by PTR-MS/gas chromatography-mass spectrometry coupling. Ascorbic acid showed the highest potential to generate furan, followed by glyceryl trilinolenate. Some of the reaction samples generated methylfuran as well, such as Maillard systems containing alanine and threonine as well as lipids based on linolenic acid. The furan yields from ascorbic acid were lowered in an oxygen-free atmosphere (30%) or in the presence of reducing agents (e.g., sulfite, 60%), indicating the important role of oxidation steps in the furan formation pathway. Furthermore, already simple binary mixtures of ascorbic acid and amino acids, sugars, or lipids reduced furan by 50-95%. These data suggest that more complex reaction systems result in much lower furan amounts as compared to the individual precursors, most likely due to competing reaction pathways.
Interest in on-line measurements of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is increasing, as sensitive, compact, and affordable direct inlet mass spectrometers are becoming available. Proton-transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) distinguishes itself by its high sensitivity (low ppt range), high time resolution (200 ms), little ionization-induced fragmentation, and ionization efficiency independent of the compound to be analyzed. Yet, PTR-MS has a shortcoming. It is a one-dimensional technique that characterizes compounds only via their mass, which is not sufficient for positive identification. Here, we introduce a technical and analytical extension of PTR-MS, which removes this shortcoming, while preserving its salient and unique features. Combining separation of VOCs by gas chromatography (GC) with simultaneous and parallel detection of the GC effluent by PTR-MS and electron impact MS, an unambiguous interpretation of complex PTR-MS spectra becomes feasible. This novel development is discussed on the basis of characteristic performance parameters, such as resolution, linear range, and detection limit. The recently developed drift tube with a reduced reaction volume is crucial to exploit the full potential of the setup. We illustrate the performance of the novel setup by analyzing a complex food system.
The formation of acrylamide was measured in real time during thermal treatment (120-170 degrees C) of potato as well as in Maillard model systems composed of asparagine and reducing sugars, such as fructose and glucose. This was achieved by on-line monitoring of acrylamide released into the headspace of the samples using proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS). Unambiguous identification of acrylamide by PTR-MS was accomplished by gas chromatography coupled simultaneously to electron-impact MS and PTR-MS. The PTR-MS ion signal at m/z 72 was shown to be exclusively due to protonated acrylamide obtained without fragmentation. In model Maillard systems, the formation of acrylamide from asparagine was favored with increasing temperature and preferably in the presence of fructose. Maximum signal intensities in the headspace were obtained after approximately 2 min at 170 degrees C, whereas 6-7 min was required at 150 degrees C. Similarly, the level of acrylamide released into the headspace during thermal treatment of potato was positively correlated to temperature.
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