New gas chromatography-olfactometric investigative method, and its application to cooked Silurus glanis (European catfish) odor characterization.

A new gas chromatography-olfactometric method, gas chromatography-global olfactometry omission detection (GC-GOOD), was applied to dynamic headspace odor extracts of Silurus glanis (European catfish). The GC-GOOD method is based on the omission test theory and uses a gas chromatograph coupled with a three-way valve and an a flame ionization detector. The GC-GOOD method enabled the identification of key families of volatile compounds in the S. glanis global odor and the elucidation of the interactions occurring between these families. Significant main effects were observed for the families of volatile compounds exhibiting cooked odor, grassy odor and alcohol, solvent and plastic odors. Omission of these families involved a loss of odor similarity.