The aromatic volatile compounds of high pressure treated strawberry coulis (Fragaria ananassa Gariguette) were analysed by capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and compared with aromatic volatile compounds of raw strawberry and heat-treated strawberry coulis. Characterisation of treated and untreated samples was achieved by applying principal component analysis to the chromatographic data. Aroma of strawberry was specifically identified by furaneol (2,5 -dimethyl-4-hydroxyfuran-3-one) and nerolidol (3,7,11-trimethyl 1,6,10-dodecatrien-3-ol). No significant changes of all the aromatic volatile compounds were observed between untreated and high pressure-treated (200 and 500 MPa, 20 degrees C, 20 min) strawberry coulis. On the other hand, changes appeared in the composition of aromatic compounds after an ultra high hydrostatic pressure treatment at 800 MPa (20 min, 20 degrees C) and after a sterilisation (120 degrees C, 20 min). (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.