Development of a headspace trap HRGC/MS method for the assessment of the relevance of certain aroma compounds on the sensorial characteristics of commercial apple juice

A reliable and simple method was developed for the completely automatised analysis of apple juice aroma compounds. In total 26 flavour compounds could be measured by headspace trap gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). We used the method to analyse 85 commercially available apple juices, of which 67 apple juices were not from concentrate. Our results show that apple juices not from concentrate are mainly characterised by flavour compounds responsible for fruity, ripe, and sweet aroma impressions, such as 1-butanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol, ethylbutyrate, and ethyl-2-methylbutyrate. On the contrary, apple juices made from concentrate were dominated by acetaldehyde, E-2-hexenal, 3-methyl-1-butanol, ethyl acetate, and hexanal, which are mainly responsible for sensory impressions, such as ‘green, fresh, estery’. According to our data, neither of the single compounds nor indexes calculated thereof as suggested by some authors could be used for the reliable assessment of apple juice quality. Thus, these results suggest that sensory evaluation remains the ultimate mean to reliably assess apple juice quality.