Peak detection methods for GC × GC: An overview

•Literature on methods for peak detection for comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC × GC) is reviewed.•The focus is on methods for the detection of individual peaks.•The principles, merits and demerits of each technique are discussed.

The literature on methods for peak detection and integration for comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC × GC) is reviewed with a focus on methods for the detection of individual peaks. These methods are of importance to make GC × GC generally applicable for identification and subsequent quantification of target compounds, and for non-target screening strategies, such as used in, e.g. food, biological, environmental and metabolomics studies, as well. There are three main groups of technique: methods based on 1D peak integration and subsequent automated clustering, multivariate methods and graphical methods. The principles, merits and demerits of each technique are discussed.