Using Peak Deconvolution to Resolve Flavor and Odor Problems

Flavor and odor issues often arise from trace‑level compounds that co‑elute with larger background components, making them difficult—or impossible—to detect using conventional GC‑MS workflows. In this on‑demand webinar, Ray Marcelli, an independent analytical flavor consultant with more than 30 years of experience in food and flavor chemistry, demonstrates how time‑of‑flight mass spectrometry (TOF‑MS) and advanced peak deconvolution reveal critical odorants hidden within complex samples.

Using real‑world case studies from food, beverage, and ingredient analysis, the presentation shows how peak deconvolution with ChromaTOF software enables confident identification and quantitation of compounds responsible for musty taints, off‑flavors, and aroma defects. Examples include chloroanisole contamination in dairy ingredients, metabolite profiling of molds, floral fragrance characterization, and trace off‑flavor detection in beer—many involving odor thresholds at parts‑per‑billion or lower.

The webinar also explores modern, high‑sensitivity sample preparation approaches such as stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) and headspace techniques, which increase analyte load but also increase chromatographic complexity. Through these examples, Marcelli illustrates why high data density, non‑skewed TOF spectra, and automated deconvolution are essential for separating co‑eluting compounds, improving library matches, and uncovering components analysts may not even know to look for.

This session is ideal for analysts working in food, flavor, fragrance, beverage, and consumer product laboratories who are troubleshooting odor problems, investigating contamination events, or seeking deeper chemical insight from complex GC‑MS data.