New device for direct extraction of volatiles in solid samples using SPME.

A new device that allows extraction of volatiles from solid materials by SPME, avoiding preparation of the sample, was designed and tested in two different food products. Volatiles from dry-cured ham and canned liver sausage were analyzed by headspace SPME (HS SPME) and by using a new device that protects the SPME fiber in the core of the solid material. Volatile profiles generated by using both methods of extraction were very similar in both products. Compounds that have been previously highlighted as quality markers, such as products from oxidative degradation of lipids, products from Strecker degradation of amino acids, or terpenes, were satisfactorily extracted by SPME coupled to the device for direct extraction. In addition, by using this method no laboratory contaminants were extracted, whereas some major laboratory solvents were presented in the chromatogram using the HS SPME method. However, coefficients of variation were higher when performing the direct sampling procedure. This new device appears to have potential as a simple method for extracting volatiles in solid materials while at the same time avoiding taking samples.