Characterization of volatile compounds of French and Spanish virgin olive oils by HS-SPME: Identification of quality-freshness markers

Headspace-Solid Phase Microextraction (HS-SPME) was applied to the analysis of volatile compounds of virgin olive oils from southern France (Alpes–Maritimes) and Spain (Reus). Forty one compounds were isolated and characterized by GC–RI and GC–MS, representing 85.3–92.8% of the total amount. (E)-Hex-2-enal, the main compound extracted by SPME, characterized the olive oil headspace for all samples. The other compounds identified were mainly hexanal, (Z)-hex-3-enol, (E)-hex-2-enol and hexanol. Changes in the chemical composition of the olive oil headspace were also monitored during storage. The content of (E)-hex-2-enal decreased over several months, and that of the C6 alcohols and C5 ketones increased. These compounds can be used as markers for the evaluation of olive oil quality.