Flavor Analysis
Flavor Extraction Techniques
| Extraction Method | Purpose | Photo |
|---|---|---|
| Two Units of Purge and Trap/ Dynamic Headspace coupled with Gerstel Thermodesorption System (TDS) and Cooled Injection System (CIS) | Purge and Trap (P&T) is a dynamic headspace extraction method used to analyze volatile compounds. In this technique, samples are continuously purged with an inert gas, which transfers volatile compounds into the headspace. The headspace is then passed through a packed sorbent material, where the volatiles are trapped for subsequent thermal desorption using the Gerstel Thermal Desorption System (TDS) and injection via the Gerstel Cooled Injection System (CIS). The combination of the Gerstel TDS and CIS enables highly sensitive and accurate determination of volatile and semi-volatile flavor compounds. | 
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| Solid Phase Micro Extraction (SPME) | Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) is a rapid, easily automated, and solvent-free sample preparation technique. SPME employs an immobilized liquid or solid polymeric stationary phase coated onto a fused silica fiber to extract analytes through adsorption or absorption processes. The analytes are concentrated on the fiber and subsequently thermally desorbed in the GC–MS injection port. SPME is the most commonly used method for the determination of volatile compounds in pulse proteins. | 
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| Solvent Assisted Flavor Extraction (SAFE) | Solvent-assisted flavor evaporation (SAFE) is regarded as the gold standard for aroma characterization. This high-vacuum distillation technique is used for the extraction of aroma compounds under gentle conditions. Volatile compounds are extracted using an organic solvent, which is completely evaporated and recovered in a flask cooled with liquid nitrogen. Non-volatile compounds remain behind, and the purified extract can be analyzed by GC–MS or GC–olfactometry–MS. SAFE is widely applied in food research and is considered to produce aroma extracts that most accurately represent the original products from which they are derived. |
Analytical Measurement of Flavor Compounds
| Analysis | Purpose | Photo |
|---|---|---|
| GC (Agilent Technologies 6890N) with Inert Mass Selective Detector (5975) | Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) is a technique that combines the separation capacity of gas chromatography with the sensitivity and selective capacity of the mass spectrometer. This combination allows analyzing and quantifying trace compounds such as fatty acid composition and precursors of off flavors in complex mixtures with a high degree of effectiveness. | 
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| Gas Chromatography (ALS ready G1530 A)-Olfactometry- Inert Mass Selective Detector (Agilent Technologies 5975) | GC is a common type of chromatography used in separating compounds that can be vaporized (gas). Volatile flavor compounds are carried by a carrier gas and separated through a polymer coated column. Analytes can then be analyzed using various types of detectors (FID and MS). Olfactometry allows for detection of odor active compounds. Analytes separated by GC can be split for detection (i.e., MS) and evaluation by sniffing at a sniff port to identify the compounds that are odor active and their odor intensity. Mass spectrometry is used for ion separation by their mass-to-charge ratio and to detect them qualitatively and quantitatively by their respective m/z and abundance. | 
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| Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC; Waters Quatro Premier XE) with Triple Quadrupole mass spectrometer | UPLC-MS/MS is used for separating non-volatile compounds using liquid chromatography followed by highly sensitive and selective tandem MS subsequently identifying them. | 
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