Eleven diphenols and seven caramel compounds were extracted from roasted coffee with pentane/ether (1 + 1), silylated with BSTFA, characterized, and semiquantified by GC-MS. Seven phenols and five caramel components were identified for the first time in roasted coffee. Robusta coffee contained the highest amounts of phenols and maltol. Arabica showed higher amounts of furaneol (2.5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3(2H)-furanone), isomaltol, 5-hydroxymaltol, and 5-hydroxy-5.6-dihydromaltol.

Thirty phenols were isolated from roasted coffee by distillation-extraction, separated from other constituents by absorption-chromatography, and characterized by means of GC-MS. Robusta coffee contained the largest amount of phenols, followed by Arabusta (Côte d'Ivoire) and Arabica. Quantity and type of phenols depends on variety as well as on the roasting conditions.

Phenolic compounds and aromatic hydrocarbons are components in many foods and often typical flavoring substances for example of roasted and smoked products. They are also of toxicological importance. By means of model reactions we have investigated their formation by thermal fragmentation of cinnamic, p-coumaric, ferulic and sinapic acids. The products of these reactions were determined by gas chromatography and identified by mass spectrometry or infrared spectroscopy. Product ratio and mass spectra are given. Barley was roasted in a similar manner, and the components formed were identified. Column chromatography and preparative gas chromatography were used for preliminary separation.

Ripe fruits of wild growing varieties of strawberries had been homogenized under inhibition of the enzymes and extracted with the adding of an internal standard. About 40 main components could be identified and quantitatively determined by gaschromatographical-mass-spectrometrical investigations. Methyl ketones and secondary alcohols dominate in Fragaria moschata and Fragaria vesca, whereas especially ethylesters of the carboxylic acids C6 to C12 are formed by Fragaria chiloensis. Fragaria virginiana contains numerous components amongst which are especially the methyl-and ethylesters of the carboxylic acids C6 to C12; besides it contains, as distinctive marks, n-butyl-, n-hexyl, ra-octyl, and n-decylesters of the carboxylic acids C4 to C10 . All varieties exhibit a sorttypical distribution pattern of the aroma components.