Development of fast methods for measuring pear flavour based on selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS)

Pear is the most important fruit in Belgium on a weight basis. As the cultivar ‘Conference’ makes up 85 % of the total Belgian pear production the industry is very vulnerable to changing consumer preferences and there is a need for introducing new cultivars. Aroma is a very important quality trait that is used to select new cultivars. However, surprisingly little is known about pear aroma. The objective of this PhD project is to develop a novel, fast methods for measuring pear aroma based on selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS). The method will be compared to classical methods such as SPME-GCMS (aroma) and cryofocusing based GCMS methods. Its applicability in different applications such as breeding programs, dynamic controlled atmosphere storage and modified atmosphere packaging will be investigated next.