Volatile Organic Compounds in Every Day Food

Importance of the Topic

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are low-molecular-weight aliphatic and aromatic chemicals with high volatility that may enter food through packaging, processing aids or environmental contamination. Growing public concern over petroleum-related pollution and cleanup chemicals in seafood and other foodstuffs has driven regulatory agencies to extend VOC monitoring from water and pharmaceuticals to everyday food products. Establishing robust, automated analytical workflows for VOC detection in complex food matrices supports food safety, quality control and regulatory compliance.

Objectives and Overview of the Study

This study aimed to develop and validate an automated method for determining VOCs in a range of prepared and ready-to-eat foods using a combination of direct vial purge and automated methanol extraction. Key goals included:

• Implementing the USEPA Method 8260C purge-and-trap protocol on an automated platform
• Assessing method precision and accuracy across diverse food matrices
• Quantifying typical VOC levels in common table-ready foods and comparing them to drinking water guidelines

Methodology

Food samples (fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy and processed products) were prepared per package or restaurant instructions, homogenized, frozen and transferred to 40 mL VOA vials. A magnetic stirring bar and 10 mL reagent water were added. The Atomx automated sample prep system applied an in-vial purge using an inert gas introduced through a three-stage needle. Purged VOCs were collected on a proprietary trap, thermally desorbed and sent to GC/MS for analysis. Quantitation was based on a 2–200 ppb calibration curve prepared from a 50 ppm mixed standard in methanol, using a 25 ppb internal standard via standard addition. Agilent ChemStation software processed data to meet all USEPA 8260C performance criteria.

Used Instrumentation

• Atomx Automated VOC Sample Prep System with integrated purge-and-trap concentrator
• Agilent 6890 gas chromatograph coupled to 5973 mass selective detector
• J&W DB-VRX GC column (30 m × 0.25 mm i.d. × 1.40 µm film)
• Helium carrier gas, split ratio 80:1, inlet at 220 °C
• Oven program: 35 °C (4 min) → 16 °C/min to 85 °C → 30 °C/min to 210 °C (3 min)

Main Results and Discussion

VOCs were detected in all tested foods at concentrations ranging from 1 to 3 000 ppb, with many values below the 2–200 ppb calibration range (estimated). Key observations included:

• Esters such as ethyl and butyl acetate were prevalent in fruits and baby foods, occasionally exceeding 1 000 ppb.
• Carbon disulfide and acetone appeared across meat and fish products, with the highest level (563 ppb) of CS₂ measured in salami.
• In-vial purge minimized matrix interferences from fats, sugars and acids, maintaining GC/MS cleanliness and uptime.
• All measured concentrations remained below USEPA and FDA drinking water limits, indicating low dietary VOC exposure.

Benefits and Practical Applications

The automated Atomx-GC/MS workflow delivers:

• High throughput and reproducible VOC extraction across diverse food types
• Reduced manual handling and instrument downtime due to in-vial purge
• Compliance with established regulatory methods (USEPA 8260C)
• Capability to screen for environmental and packaging-derived contaminants in QA/QC and research settings

Future Trends and Potential Applications

Advances may include:

• Integration with high-resolution mass spectrometry for broader compound identification
• Expansion to nonvolatile or semi-volatile contaminants using complementary extraction techniques
• Miniaturized or portable purge-and-trap systems for field analysis
• Data-driven monitoring programs coupling large-scale VOC surveys with predictive exposure models

Conclusion

An automated in-vial purge and trap method coupled with GC/MS reliably quantifies VOCs in complex food matrices, achieving USEPA 8260C performance criteria while minimizing matrix effects. Detected VOC levels in everyday foods were well below drinking water limits, demonstrating both method robustness and low consumer exposure. This platform supports diverse analytical needs in food safety, environmental monitoring and industrial quality control.

References

1. Fleming-Jones, M. E., & Smith, R. E. (2003). Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 51, 8120–8127.
2. USEPA Method 8260C. Volatile Organic Compounds by GC/MS. Revision 3, August 2006.
3. USEPA. Drinking Water Contaminants. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.