Recent development of HS-GC-IMS technology in rapid and non-destructive detection of quality and contamination in agri-food products

The volatile profiles of agri-food products change dramatically during storage, processing and distribution. Rapid and non-destructive detection of volatiles is critical for flavor quality evaluation and science-based classification. Headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS) has emerged as a promising technology for the accurate characterization and detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in agri-food products. Due to its relatively simple system setup, sensitivity, stability, and robustness, HS-GC-IMS technology developed rapidly in the field of VOCs analysis. This paper provides a brief overview of the working principles and common used feature extraction methods for 3D HS-GC-IMS fingerprint. A literature update on the applications of HS-GC-IMS for ensuring quality and safety in food industry is presented, including agri-food products classification and adulteration, flavor change monitoring in agri-food products during storage and processing, and detection of microbial contamination in agri-food products. Perspectives on future trends and challenges are addressed.