2,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3(2H)-furanone in corn products

2,5-Dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3(2H)-furanone (DHF) was identified (GC-MS) in canned, frozen (cooked), and fresh (cooked) sweet corn. It was also identified in corn tortilla chips and taco shells. The concentration of DHF was higher in canned (170-270 mu g/kg) than in fresh (19 mu g/kg) or frozen (27 mu g/kg) sweet corn. Moderate concentrations of DHF occurred in tortilla chips (260 mu g/kg) and taco shells (80 mu g/kg). The DHF was isolated using a dynamic headspace method with anhydrous sodium sulfate blended with the corn products to remove water. DHF occurred at a concentration on the order of 5-10 times its odor threshold (in water) in the canned sweet corns and tortilla chips and also above this threshold in taco shells.