Quantitative Performance of a Simple Tenax‐GC Adsorption Method For Use in the Analysis of Aroma Volatiles

A simple method for obtaining ether extracts of aroma volatiles from foods for gas chromatographic analysis using single‐use Tenax‐GC collection tubes is described. The method was characterized quantitatively for the collection of a variety of compounds from model systems by both dynamic‐purging (10 ppb level) and equilibrium displacement techniques (15 ppm level), and for collection of fractions (250 μg level) from packed gas chromatographic columns. A range of variation in reproducibility of 5‐22% was found for recovery of compounds by the dynamic purging system, and less than 10% variation was encountered for ethyl esters using the equilibrium displacement system. Collection efficiencies for selected ethyl esters from packed gas chromatography column collections were about 80% of theoretical with a variation of less than 10%.