Construction of IsoVoc Database for the Authentication of Natural Flavours

Abstract

Flavour is an important quality trait of food and beverages. As the demand for natural aromas increases and the cost of raw materials go up, so does the potential for economically motivated adulteration. In this study, gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS) analysis of volatile fruit compounds, sampled using headspace-solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME), is used as a tool to differentiate between synthetic and naturally produced volatile aroma compounds (VOCs). The result is an extensive stable isotope database (IsoVoc—Isotope Volatile organic compounds) consisting of 39 authentic flavour compounds with well-defined origin: apple (148), strawberry (33), raspberry (12), pear (9), blueberry (7), and sour cherry (4) samples. Synthetically derived VOCs (48) were also characterised. Comparing isotope ratios of volatile compounds between distillates and fresh apples and strawberries proved the suitability of using fresh samples to create a database covering the natural variability in δ13C values and range of VOCs. In total, 25 aroma compounds were identified and used to test 33 flavoured commercial products to evaluate the usefulness of the IsoVoc database for fruit flavour authenticity studies. The results revealed the possible falsification for several fruit aroma compounds.

Optimization and validation of an HS-SPME/GC-MS method for determining volatile organic compounds in dry-cured ham

“…The selected optimal conditions are described in Table 1 . Similar conditions were also obtained in several applications including essential oils, fruits, truffles ( 15 , 25 – 27 , 31 ), which indicates the general usefulness of the optimized method. However, it needs to be tested or adapted for each specific matrix.…”

“…Helium was used as the carrier gas at a constant flow rate of 1.5 mL min −1 . The oven temperature program was selected according to the literature data ( 7 , 25 – 28 ), additionally optimized on dry-cured ham samples and set in the following way: 40°C (held for 1 min) to 150°C at 6°C min −1 , to 200°C at 10°C min −1 , and to 250°C at 20°C min −1 (held for 10 min), resulting in a total analysis time of 37 min. The quadrupole, interface, and ion source temperatures were set at 180, 280, and 240°C.…”

“…Helium was used as the carrier gas at a constant flow rate of 1.5 mL min −1 . The oven temperature program was selected according to the literature data (7,(25)(26)(27)(28), additionally optimized on dry-cured ham samples and set in the following way: 40…”

Authentication of Transylvanian Spirits Based on Isotope and Elemental Signatures in Conjunction with Statistical Methods

“…Isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) and SNIF-NMR are popular techniques used to verify the authenticity of grains and fruit spirits [ 2 ]. The isotope fingerprints of 13 C, 2 H, and 18 O measured through IRMS, along with (D/H) I and (D/H) II ratios determined through 2 H-NMR, are good markers for authentication of grain and fruit spirits [ 3 , 4 , 5 ].…”