Multigas sensors for the quality control of spice mixtures

Spices have an important impact on daily aliment. Changes of their quality resulting in far reaching consequences in different foodstuffs and imply financial losing and even health hazard. In this study it is demonstrated that application of two different portable multi gas sensors (electronic nose and ion mobility spectrometer) supported by multivariate data analysis can contribute to ensure quality control of spice mixtures and to find out product adulteration. Headspace above spice mixtures for sausages and saveloy and product counterfeitings was investigated by a metal oxide based electronic nose (e-nose of KAMINA-type). Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) of sensor resistivity data was performed for differentiation. Simultaneously an ion mobility spectrometer (IMS) was coupled to the emission chamber for detection of gaseous components above spice mixtures. The measured spectra show differences between the two spice mixtures and were discussed using a principal component analysis (PCA). The two multi gas sensors permit discrimination between the types of spice mixtures and can indicate product adulteration. Additionally, a headspace gas analysis by gas chromatography was performed to identify the main volatile components and to prove the chemical basis for the observed differences of the multi gas sensors.