Using an ion-trap MS sensor to differentiate and identify individual components in grapefruit juice headspace volatiles

An ion-trap mass spectrometer chemical sensor has been utilized to differentiate between grapefruit juices that differ only in the concentration of a single component, and the sensor was able to identify that component. Grapefruit juice was fortified with 40 to 2000 ppm vanillin, a low-level naturally occurring compound in citrus juices. Principal components analysis and discriminant analysis of mass spectral data (m/z 50-200) provided clear separation of the grapefruit juice samples. Vanillin was observed in the juice headspace at the 40 ppm level, with identification possible at the 100 ppm level using either MS or MS/MS.