title: Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometric detection for the trace analysis of flavour compounds in food.
abstract: The practicability and potential of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC x GC-TOF-MS) for the analysis of complex flavour mixtures in food were studied. With the determination of key flavour targets in dairy samples as an example, it was demonstrated that GC x GC dramatically improves the separation. As a consequence, identification and, more importantly, quantification down to the ng/g level can be performed more reliably: background interferences largely disappear. Next to the peak table generated from the GC-TOF-MS software after data processing, the additional use of well-ordered patterns in the 2D-plane and information from second-dimension retention times can substantially help the identification of unknowns. The technique was successfully used for an evaluation of extraction techniques and the characterisation of different types of samples.
authors.affiliation: Vrije Universiteit, Department of Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy, de Boelelaan 1083, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands. adahchou@few.vu.nl
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Adahchour
authors.forename: Leo L P
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: van Stee
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beens
authors.forename: René J J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Vreuls
authors.forename: Max A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Batenburg
authors.forename: Udo A Th
authors.initials: UA
authors.lastname: Brinkman
mesh_terms: D005421:Flavoring Agents / Q000032:analysis*; D005504:Food Analysis; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D014835:Volatilization
chemical_list: D005421:Flavoring Agents