Comprehensive and High-Sensitivity Analysis of Food Aroma by Simultaneous Scan/MRM Measurement Using Triple Quadrupole GC-MS/MS

User Benefits

- Simultaneous scan/MRM measurement enables comprehensive search by scan measurement and high-sensitivity analysis of trace aroma compounds by MRM in a single measurement. - With LabSolutions Insight Explore GCMS, deconvolution analysis of scan data and target analysis of MRM data are possible in a single software program. - The Multi-Mode Injection Unit (MMI), which allows rapid heating, supports aroma analysis in the thermal desorption (TD) mode.

Introduction

The “aroma” of food products and beverages is a key factor that largely determines product quality and consumer preferences, and thus is an extremely important element in product development and quality control. Since the gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GC-MS) provides excellent performance in qualitative analysis of volatile compounds, it is used to measure various aroma components that make up an odor. However, due to the diversity of aroma compounds and their wide concentration range, which extends from the ppm to the ppt order, an analytical method that allows efficient measurement of these substances is demanded. Non-targeted analysis by scan measurement is an effective tool for comprehensive profiling, but in many cases, it is difficult to identify the trace components that make a significant contribution to aroma due to the limits of instrument sensitivity and matrix interference. On the other hand, although wide-target analysis by the MRM (Multiple Reaction Monitoring) mode using GC-MS/MS offers high sensitivity and selectivity for several hundred target components, MRM lacks a search capability for unknown components. Therefore, this Application News article reports a technique that satisfies both comprehensive non-targeted search and high-sensitivity detection of trace components in a single analysis by combining the GCMS-TQ 8040 RX, which supports simultaneous data acquisition in simultaneous multi-component analysis measurements by scan measurement and the MRM mode, and the Smart Aroma Database for use in aroma analysis. In addition, in this experiment, the thermal desorption (TD) mode of the Multi-Mode Injection Unit (MMI) was adopted for sample introduction. This enables introduction of components trapped on the adsorbent without using a dedicated TD device, thereby achieving a simplified system configuration.

August 17, 2026 GMT