Effect of the matrix volatile composition in the headspace solid-phase microextraction analysis of extra virgin olive oil

The effectiveness of headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) for the quantitative analysis of extra virgin olive oil volatiles was investigated on 44 standard compounds, using an adsorbent polydimethylsiloxane/divinylbenzene (PDMS/DVB) fiber. The method’s sensitivity was satisfactory, as was its repeatability. However, when the extraction was carried out on mixtures containing all the standard analytes, phenomena of coating saturation and competition between components caused losses in linearity at lower levels of concentration, thus distorting the quantitative evaluation. Coating saturation or displacement between components was also found to be responsible for the bias in the quantitative determinations when extra virgin olive oil samples were analysed. These limitations were overcome by diluting the oil at concentrations not exceeding the total capacity of the fiber coating and until the quantity of displacing compounds was reduced to sufficiently low levels.