Rapid white truffle headspace analysis by proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry and comparison with solid‐phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

Abstract The gastronomic relevance and high price of white truffle are related mainly to its unique aroma. Here we evaluate, for the first time, the possibility of characterizing in a rapid and non‐destructive way the aroma of white truffles based on proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR‐MS). We indicate that anonymous PTR‐MS fingerprinting allows sample classification and we also compare qualitatively and quantitatively PTR‐MS data with measurements made by solid‐phase microextraction gas chromatography (SPME‐GC) of the same samples under the same conditions. PTR‐MS fragmentation data of truffle‐relevant compounds are also published here for the first time. Most of the sulfur‐containing compounds detected by GC and relevant for white truffle aroma have a high positive correlation with single PTR‐MS peaks. Our work indicates that, after preliminary comparison with GC data, PTR‐MS is a new tool for the rapid, quantitative and non‐invasive characterization of white truffle by direct headspace injection without any pre‐concentration. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.