Application of GC-MS/MS in the analysis of taints and off flavours

An assessment of GC-MS/MS as a tool to identify the common tainting compounds found in food and drinks, and a comparison to traditional GC-MS…

Taint and off-flavour compounds can be present in food and drinks causing an atypical smell or taste. Extreme examples can influence the consumer’s perception of a product and can lead to product recalls. These compounds are often present at very low levels that traditional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) based methods can struggle to detect and identify.

Fortunately developments in mass spectrometry technology have meant that instrument sensitivity can be significantly increased. This technology has been assessed to determine whether it can play a role in supporting the food and drinks industry in the investigation of taints and off flavours.

We assess GC-MS/MS as a tool to identify a number of the common tainting compounds found in the food and drinks and compare this to traditional GC-MS, to determine whether an increase in sensitivity can be seen, and in turn address an age old problem

MS/MS is used to fragment specific ions in the compound of interest, generating a product ion which should be free of interferences form the matrix and thereby increasing sensitivity.