Use of multiple headspace solid-phase microextraction and pervaporation for the determination of off-flavours in wine

The occurrence of off-flavours in wines and especially the so-called “cork taint defect” represents one of the most serious problem in wine industry in which 2,4,6-trichloroanisole has been blamed as the main responsible. The development of analytical methods for haloanisoles determination in wine/cork represent a challenge, mainly due to food matrix complexity and low taste and odour (T&O) threshold levels which are generally beyond the sensitivity of the analytical systems. In this work, a method based on the combined use of the recently developed multiple headspace solid-phase microextraction (MHS-SPME) and gas chromatography-ion-trap mass spectrometry has been optimised for the determination of haloanisoles in wines. This powerful analytical methodology is compared with several analytical approaches based on pervaporation, an innovative membrane-based technique similar to dynamic headspace. Analytical features of the methods assayed reveal their suitability for the appraisal of haloanisoles in this matrix in which threshold odor concentrations are in the range 4–40 ng l−1. The analytical approaches have been applied to the analysis of haloanisoles in different Spanish white and red wines, in which spiking experiments showed good recoveries for the methodologies assayed.