A multiflavor detection method, using gas chromatography-triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS), has been developed for the simultaneous identification and quantification of eight prohibited flavor compounds in daily foods. Under the optimized extraction conditions, samples were purified directly through membrane filtration. Variables affecting the GC-MS/MS were optimized to obtain better separation. The excellent selectivity and sensitivity achieved in multiple reactions monitoring mode allowed satisfactory confirmation and quantitation. In this study, the linear ranges of the target compounds were 0.05 to 500 ng/L with good correlation coefficients ( R2 > 0.999). The limits of detection of target compounds ranged from 0.005 to 0.2 μg/kg. The average recoveries were in the range of 80.2 to 110.6% (beef jerky), 82.3 to 94.1% (cod liver oil), and 83.6 to 104.1% (candy).
Keywords: Foodstuff; Gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry; Prohibited flavor compounds.