Automated dynamic headspace/GC-MS analyses affect the repeatability of volatiles in irradiated Turkey

Although a dynamic headspace/gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (DH/GC-MS) method is an effective tool for determining volatiles of irradiated turkey meat, the profile of volatiles may be changeable depending upon the availability of oxygen in the sample vial and sample holding time before purge. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of helium flushing and sample holding time before purge on the volatiles profiles of irradiated raw and cooked turkey breast meat. Vacuum-packaged turkey breasts were irradiated at 2.5 kGy, and the volatiles of irradiated raw and cooked samples were analyzed using a DH/GC-MS with different holding times up to 280 min. The amounts of dimethyl disulfide and dimethyl trisulfide decreased as sample holding time in an autosampler (4 degrees C) before purge increased, whereas those of aldehdyes increased as holding time increased due to lipid oxidation. Helium flush of sample vials before sample loading on an autosampler retarded lipid oxidation and minimized the changes of sulfur volatiles in raw meat but was not enough to prevent oxidative changes in cooked meat. Although DH/GC-MS is a convenient method for automatic analysis of volatiles in meat samples, the number of samples that can be loaded in an autosampler at a time should be limited within the range that can permit reasonable repeatabilities for target volatile compounds.