
Food, Flavor & Fragrance
High throughput analysis of VOCs in food, flavor and fragrance processing and packaging.
Flavors and aromas – whether favorable or unfavorable – are primarily derived from volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
These odor-active volatiles (OAVs) are chemically very diverse, impart a wide range of sensations to the human olfactory system and have a wide range of sensory thresholds. SIFT-MS provides a unique solution for highly sensitive and selective direct analysis of OAVs, supporting diverse consumer applications from food processing to packaging analysis.
Process-line quality assurance for food manufacturing
Raw materials for the food processing industry usually show seasonal and other quality variations. When coupled with changes in the performance of processing equipment, product quality may vary. Since aroma is derived from VOCs and is a key component of consumer perception of product, best results are obtained by monitoring the product during processing.
SIFT-MS instruments are ideal process-line monitors for sensitive detection and quantitation of both oxidation and Maillard reaction products that indicate the degree of processing and the product quality.
Benefits of applying SIFT-MS on the food processing line include:
- Rapid quality assurance of incoming raw materials to mitigate product loss
- Fast optimization of favorable aroma compound formation that aids consumer acceptance and masks unfavorable oxidation aromas formed during aging
- Real-time detection of unfavorable aroma formation that can lead to product losses

Detection of oxidation and browning products in skim milk powder as the temperature is increased from 80 to 150°C.
Learn more about SIFT-MS capabilities in Food, Flavor & Fragrance

An Evaluation of SIFT-MS for Instrument-Based Sensory Analysis: A Packaging Case Study

Rapid Detection of Non-Conforming Food Products and Ingredients Using Automated SIFT-MS

High-Throughput Food Aroma Analysis Webinar

Real-Time Detection of Leaf Wounding in Living Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum), Using SIFT-MS
Plant species – even to the cultivar level – usually have distinctive natural aromas. When damaged, additional volatile compounds are generated through enzymatic activity. SIFT-MS readily detects and quantifies volatiles characteristic of both aroma and leaf wounding in real-time, which are of significance to the culinary and agricultural industries, respectively.



Real-Time Analysis of Flavor Release from Chewing Gums, Using SIFT-MS
Analysis of in vivo flavor release from foods requires high sensitivity, rapid response, and immunity to moisture. SIFT-MS combines these requirements with best-in-class selectivity to effectively measure flavor release, as demonstrated in this case study for chewing gums.


High-Throughput Analysis of Volatiles from Fruit Using SIFT-MS
This application note demonstrates the simplicity with which small molecules are detected from fruits using direct SIFT-MS analysis, in contrast to conventional gas chromatographic methods. Automated SIFT-MS also provides significant throughput and method development advantages compared to conventional analytical approaches.

Headspace Analysis and Stripping of Volatile Compounds from Apple and Orange Juices, Using SIFT-MS
Direct headspace analysis using SIFT-MS is very sensitive and provides straightforward determination of aroma volatile concentrations. This application note uses fruit juices and mixes as a case study, demonstrating the ease with which static headspace and stripping studies can be conducted using SIFT-MS.


Rapid Detection of Green Kiwifruit Spoilage, Using SIFT-MS
Due to relatively long shipping times, and relatively high shipping costs, green kiwifruit producers need to ensure that their fruit is at optimal ripeness before it is shipped. This study demonstrates that SIFT-MS readily analyzes volatile compounds around trays of kiwifruit, yielding an accurate assessment of fruit ripeness.


Rapid Strawberry Flavor Mix Screening using Static Headspace-SIFT-MS
Automated, direct headspace analysis using selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) provides rapid and economic screening of flavor mixes. This application note describes how SIFT-MS coupled with multivariate statistical analysis readily classifies various strawberry flavor mixes with analysis times of less than one minute per sample.


Real-Time, High-Sensitivity Food and Flavor Analysis Using SIFT-MS

Food and Flavor Analysis Using SIFT-MS: An Introductory Webinar

Flavour Analysis of Confectionery, Using SIFT-MS
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) form a key component in the expression of sensory and characteristics for confectionery products. This White Paper describes the VOC analysis capabilities of Selected Ion Flow Tube Mass Spectrometry (SIFT-MS) that are relevant to
flavour-release research and manufacturing of confectionery. The application of these capabilities is illustrated, with results from actual analyses presented.

Syft Application Talks 10: From Mold Worms to Fake Honey: Using SIFT-MS to Improve Food Quality

Syft App Talks #23. Real-Time Acrylamide Monitoring in Food Processing Using SIFT-MS

Syft Application Talks 4: Characterization and Classification of Lamb Flavor Using SIFT-MS

Part 3: Food, Flavor and Agriculture

SIMPLE, RAPID ANALYSIS OF PACKAGING FOR VOLATILE MOSH AND MOAH CONTAMINANTS
Headspace-SIFT-MS can screen over 220 samples per day for volatile MOSH and MOAH compounds – nearly seven-fold more samples than the routine liquid and gas chromatography method.
A Sensory Expert Shares His Experience with SIFT-MS
We asked Mike McGinley, President, St. Croix Sensory, Inc. about his experience using SIFT-MS. Hear what he had to say about the speed of analysis and flexibility inherent to Syft's product solutions.
High-Throughput, Quantitative Analysis of Benzene in Personal Care Products using Headspace-SIFT-MS
SIFT-MS provides rapid, sensitive, and robust analysis of benzene and other contaminants in a wide array of commercial products. Integration with a headspace autosampler enables rapid screening of hundreds of samples per day.
Real-Time Monitoring of Bioreactor Production Processes Using SIFT-MS
The ability of SIFT-MS to monitor critical volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by a bioreactor in real-time at low parts-per-billion by volume (ppbV) concentrations is demonstrated. This application note presents the results of a pilot-scale feasibility study conducted over several weeks, demonstrating the utility of SIFT-MS for maximizing production outcomes.
A Consumer Safety Expert Shares His Experience with SIFT-MS
We asked David Light, CEO and Founder of Valisure, about his experience using SIFT-MS and how it impacted their dry shampoo safety study.
High Throughput Screening of Recycled HDPE Pellets Using Untargeted Headspace-SIFT-MS-Analysis
Automated headspace-SIFT-MS analysis can classify pelleted recycled HDPE at throughputs over 230 samples per day, offering great potential for rapid screening of recycled packaging materials.
Rapid Screening of Paperboard For Volatile Leachables Using Static Headspace-SIFT-MS
Automated SIFT-MS analysis rapidly screens paperboard packaging for a wide range of functional groups in a single analysis, assuring that the volatile emissions meet manufacturer specifications. This application note describes a Headspace-SIFT-MS method with throughput >10X faster than traditional GC/MS methods.
Rapid, Quantitative Analysis of Volatile Aldehyde Impurities In Paperboard Using Multiple Headspace Extraction
Quantitative determination of volatile aldehyde residues in paperboard is readily achieved using multiple headspace extraction-SIFT-MS analysis, with an eight-fold throughput increase over the equivalent conventional analysis.
Rapid Odor Screening of Paperboard Using Static Headspace-SIFT-MS
Automated SIFT-MS analysis coupled with multivariate statistical analysis provides rapid sensory screening of paperboard packaging, overcoming the low sample throughput of sensory panels. The ability to use HS-SIFT-MS to achieve throughput of 12 samples per hour is demonstrated.

Rapid, Simplified Residual Solvent and Volatile Impurity Analysis Using SIFT-MS
SIFT-MS provides real-time, selective, and economic analysis of challenging volatile compounds, such as residual solvents, formaldehyde, dimethylamine, and NDMA without requiring derivatization or other special handling.

High-Throughput Analysis of Volatile Impurities in Sustainable Packaging using SIFT-MS
Pharmaceutical and food products are susceptible to contamination from packaging, whether from polymeric materials, printing inks, or paperboard. SIFT-MS, a high-sensitivity direct-injection mass spectrometry technique, enables risks associated with sustainable packaging alternatives to be mitigated through economical, high-throughput automated analysis (typically a 4- to 15-fold increase over GC-MS).
High-Throughput Quantitative Analysis of Residual Monomer by Using MHE-SIFT-MS to Calibrate Single Headspace Injections
MHE-SIFT-MS provides rapid, matrix-independent, quantitative determination of volatile leachables in polymers and calibrates quantitative analysis based on single headspace injections. This approach enables over 200 samples per day to be analyzed, delivering rapid and economic analysis of volatile leachables such as residual monomers.
Syft Tracer: The Next Generation of Volatile Impurities Analysis for Enhanced Workflows
This app note introduces the next generation of SIFT-MS, Syft TracerTM, which launched at Pittcon 2023. It revolutionizes volatile impurities analysis workflows through unparalleled speed, performance stability, and reproducibility. Learn about how this innovation to real-time trace gas detection outpaces chromatography-based methods in the analysis of challenging analytes such as formaldehyde in a PEG excipient.
Head to Head Comparison of Class 2A And 2B Residual Solvents Analysis Using Sift-MS And GC-FID
This application note describes head-to-head comparison of GC-FID and SIFT-MS analyses of Class 2A and 2B residual solvents. The techniques perform similarly for linearity and repeatability, but SIFT-MS provides superior performance for accuracy and recovery. Furthermore, SIFT-MS provides greater than 11-fold increase in sample throughput and significantly reduces the time taken to report quantitative results (over six times faster for a full calibration set).
Recent developments and applications of selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT‐MS)
SIFT‐MS is now recognized as the most versatile analytical technique for the identification and quantification of trace gases down to the parts‐per‐trillion by volume, pptv, range. This statement is supported by the wide reach of its applications, from real‐time analysis, obviating sample collection of very humid exhaled breath, to its adoption in industrial scenarios for air quality monitoring. This review touches on the recent extensions to the underpinning ion chemistry kinetics library and the alternative challenge of using nitrogen carrier gas instead of helium.
SIFT-MS: Quantifying the Volatiles You Smell . . . and the Toxics You Don’t
SIFT-MS has been widely applied to quantitative analysis of a broad range of VOCs in applications from food products to workplace safety to environmental monitoring, and most recently to pharmaceutical testing. This review surveys the applications of SIFT-MS in odor analysis and in workplace, environmental and consumer protection, with a particular focus on the complementarity of this real-time mass spectrometry analyzer to sensor technology and conventional laboratory techniques—in particular, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS).

The Latest Innovation of Real-Time, High-Throughput Volatile Impurities Analysis by SIFT-MS
Join us for this webinar to learn about Syft Tracer, the latest advancement of real-time, trace gas analysis by SIFT-MS which launched at Pittcon 2023. Hear how the recent product innovations unlock analytical bottlenecks and enable faster decisions to be made in critical process steps.