Differentiation of specialty coffees by proton transfer reaction-mass spectrometry

In the coffee sector a diversity of certifications is available, with the most well-known being organic and fair trade. Intrinsic markers of products may help to assure the authenticity of food products and complement administrative controls. In the present study 110 market coffees with special production traits were characterized by high sensitivity proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (HS PTR-MS) and volatiles were tentatively identified by PTR-time of flight MS. Espresso coffees, Kopi Luwak coffee and organic coffees could be distinguished by their profiles of volatile compounds with the help of chemometrics. A PLS-DA classification model was estimated to classify the organic and regular coffees by their HS PTR-MS mass spectra. Cross validation showed correct prediction of 42 out of the 43 (98%) organic coffee samples and 63 out of the 67 (95%) regular coffee samples. Therefore, the presented strategy is a promising approach to rapid organic coffee authentication.