Volatile changes during dehydration of d'Agen prunes

Solid phase microextraction (SPME) was used in conjunction with GC-MS to monitor the changes in some major volatile flavors during drying of plums. The aroma profile was significantly modified during the process and substantial loss of the original volatile flavors was observed. The generation of some compounds was shown to be due to the thermal decomposition of carbohydrates. This paper discusses the importance of aroma profiling in detecting the progress of the chemical (degradation) reactions and identifying marker volatiles in quality control of the product.