Permeability of volatile compounds from chilled grape-flavored black tea beverage through packaging materials of gable-top cartons

Abstract

Volatile compounds from a chilled grape-flavored black tea beverage(grape tea)permeating through gable-top non-barrier and barrier cartons were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry(GC/MS)and GC/olfactometry(GC/O). We first developed a new glass apparatus to capture volatile compounds permeating through packaging materials of gable-top cartons. Using this apparatus, the sampling conditions for volatile compounds from grape tea permeating through the non-barrier and barrier materials were determined as follows: SPME fiber, PDMS/DVB; sampling temperature, 10°C duration of SPME exposure, 30 min; sampling timing for SPME exposure, after 24-hr incubation at 10?. Under the conditions, volatile compounds from grape tea permeating through the non-barrier and barrier materials were captured by the SPME fibers, and analyzed by GC/MS. The GC/MS results showed remarkable differences in the peak areas of ester compounds depending on the packaging materials. In addition, GC/O analyses revealed that odor intensities(charm values)of the following six odorants: ethyl 2-methylpropanoate, ethyl butanoate, ethyl 2-methylbutanoate, ethyl 3-methylbutanoate, ethyl 2- methylpentanoate, and methyl anthranilate, were significantly higher when packed in the non-barrier material than when packed in the barrier material. These results will provide useful information for development of formulas and selection of packaging materials suitable for gable-top carton beverages.