Correlations of flavor score with volatiles of vegetable oils

A simple, direct, gas chromatograph (GC) technique is described for eluting flavor-related volatile components from commercially produced vegetable oils. A sample of oil was placed onto glass wool contained in a GC liner, and the liner was inserted in the heated inlet of the GC. Volatiles from the oils were rapidly eluted by heat and carrier gas onto the GC column. Profiles of the volatiles were obtained by temperature-programmed gas chromatography. Flavor score was highly correlated with individual volatile components considered separately, and very highly correlated with multiple volatile components considered together, indicating that reliable flavor characteristics of vegetable oils may be obtained rapidly and efficiently by instrumentation.