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Characterisation of coffees according to their origins is of utmost importance for commercial qualification. In this study, the aroma profiles of different batches of three monoorigin roasted Coffea arabica coffees (Brazil, Ethiopia and Guatemala) were analysed by Proton-Transfer-Reaction-Time of Flight-Mass Spectrometry (PTR-ToF-MS). The measurements were performed with the aid of a multipurpose autosampler. Unsupervised and supervised multivariate data analysis techniques were applied in order to visualise data and classify the coffees according to origin. Significant differences were found in volatile profiles of coffees. Principal component analysis allowed visualising a separation of the three coffees according to geographic origin and further partial least square regression-discriminant analysis classification showed completely correct predictions. Remarkably, the samples of one batch could be used as training set to predict geographic origin of the samples of the other batch, suggesting the possibility to predict further batches in coffee production by means of the same approach. Tentative identification of mass peaks aided characterisation of aroma fractions. Classification pinpointed some volatile compounds important for discrimination of coffees.

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Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometry (PTR-MS) has evolved in the last decade as a fast and high sensitivity sensor for the real-time monitoring of volatile compounds. Its applications range from environmental sciences to medical sciences, from food technology to bioprocess monitoring. Italian scientists and institutions participated from the very beginning in fundamental and applied research aiming at exploiting the potentialities of this technique and providing relevant methodological advances and new fundamental indications. In this review we describe this activity on the basis of the available literature. The Italian scientific community has been active mostly in food science and technology, plant physiology and environmental studies and also pioneered the applications of the recently released PTR-ToF-MS (Proton Transfer Reaction-Time of Flight-Mass Spectrometry) in food science and in plant physiology. In the very last years new results related to bioprocess monitoring and health science have been published as well. PTR-MS data analysis, particularly in the case of the ToF based version, and the application of advanced chemometrics and data mining are also aspects characterising the activity of the Italian community.