ANALYSIS OF VOLATILE FLAVOR COMPONENTS IN STEAMED RANGIA CLAM BY DYNAMIC HEADSPACE SAMPLING AND SIMULTANEOUS DISTILLATION AND EXTRACTION

The volatile flavor components of steamed rangia clam (Rangia cuneata) were extracted by dynamic headspace sampling (DHS) and simultaneous distillation/extraction (SDE) techniques, and analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and GC-coupled aroma perception. Twenty-two heterocyclic aroma compounds were identified. Volatile flavor compounds in other chemical classes, such as aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, and terpenes, also were identified. The unique clam aromas were contributed by a combination of S-, and N- containing compounds and ketones. In general, sampling methods (DHS and SDE) complemented each other in compounds detected in the sample. However, SDE gave more information on characteristic steamed clam flavors.