Determination of Organic Acids and Sucrose in Roasted Coffee by Capiillary Gas Chromatography

Capillary gas chromatography was used to obtain high resolution profiles of 27 organic acids, caffeine, and sucrose in dimethylsulfoxide extracts of roast and ground coffees in a sixty‐minute analysis. A shortened procedure was also reported for the quantitative determination of S‐caffeoylquinic (SCQA) and quinic (QA) acids and sucrose. Nanogram detection limits were achieved and the reproducibility of the method was under 5% relative. Major, commercial brands of caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee produced under different roasting conditions could be distinguished based on their 5‐CQA and sucrose content and on the ration of QA‐to‐SCQA.