Solvent desorption dynamic headspace sampling of fermented dairy product volatiles

A method was developed based on solvent desorption dynamic headspace analysis for the identification and relative quantification of volatiles significant to the study of fermented dairy product aroma. Descriptions of applications of this method are presented including the measurement of diacetyl and acetoin in fermented milk, the evaluation of volatile-hydrocolloid interactions in dairy-based matrices, and the identification of volatiles in cheeses for canonical discriminative analysis. Advantages of this method include rapid analysis, minimal equipment investment, and the ability to analyze samples with traditional GC split/splitless inlet systems. Limitations of this method are that the sample must be in the liquid state and the inherent analytical limitation to those compounds that do not coelute with the solvent or solvent impurity peaks.