Application of headspace solid-phase microextraction to volatile flavour profile development during storage and ripening of kiwifruit

Kiwifruit volatile flavour compounds were evaluated with headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME) as a sample concentration technique. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used for qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis after SPME. Components such as heptanal, ethyl hex-3-enoate, 6-methylhept-5-en-2-one, acetic acid, c/t-2-nonenal (mixture) and cl t-2-decenal (mixture), which were previously found only in kiwifruit juice, were detected by headspace SPME-GC-MS. Other compounds (pent-4-enal, t,t-nona-2,4-dienal, 2-nonanone, ethyl octanoate, butyrolactone and 2-propenyl butanoate), which had not been found previously, were identified. Flavour volatiles of kiwifruit were very sensitive to storage time and state of ripeness. (C) 1999 Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.