What You Need to Know
The technique relies on the differential partitioning of volatile molecules between a stationary phase and a carrier gas, producing distinct retention times. By derivatizing polar compounds, such as sugars and amino acids, their volatility is increased, allowing detection by flame ionization. The resulting chromatograms provide quantitative and qualitative data on aroma-active constituents.
The Science
Primary Reaction
Separation of volatile flavor compounds by gas chromatography