Investigation of Odor

01Solid Samples

Wrap samples tightly in aluminum foil and place in sealed plastic bags.
Use appropriately sized bags that the sample fills completely. Avoid oversized bags, as their odor may contaminate the sample and compromise analysis accuracy.

Required Quantity: Palm-sized to approximately 1kg

02Liquid Samples

Glass bottles should preferably be rinsed with the sample before use.
If glass bottles are not available, PET bottles may be used, but they must be thoroughly cleaned before sampling (shared washing is required).

Required Quantity: 100-500mL in glass bottle

A bottle with a white cap containing a clear liquid.

03Gas Samples

We can provide gas-specific sampling bags* or adsorption tubes upon request, so please contact us in advance of sampling.
We are also able to perform the sampling on your behalf—feel free to consult with us.

*Tedlar bags

Required Quantity: Approximately 3 bags of 5 liters each

Types of Analysis Methods

Main Analysis Methods

SPME-GC/MSMS with a sniffing system
Solvent extraction-GCMS
SPME-Olfactory GCMS
Distillation-GCMS

About SPME-GCMS Method

Solid-Phase microextraction (SPME, SPME-Arrow) is available as a method for identifying odor components.
Solid-phase microextraction enables analysis of ultra-trace components by adsorbing and concentrating volatile components (odor substances).

The GC column outlet is split into two branches and ventilated to a sniffing port. By comparing MS data with human sensory perception, it becomes possible to identify off-odor causative substances with higher precision.

The GCMS results diagram is called a “gas chromatogram” (shown below).
Each peak substance is identified and conclusions are drawn in combination with sensory testing results.

In this case, we detected “benzyl alcohol,” “dihydromyrcenol,” and “linalool” from damaged coffee beans, which are not contained in normal products. All of these substances have floral fragrances. Since these are substances contained in fragrances, contamination from fragrances themselves or fabric softeners and cosmetic products containing them is suspected.