| Abstract: | A central composite design has been used to improve the extraction performance of a dynamic headspace method; extraction yield was evaluated on a homogeneous sample of cheese powder. The volatile compounds were stripped from the sample with nitrogen and adsorbed on a Tenax trap, analysis being performed with a thermal cold trapping injector connected directly to a capillary GC. Three variables (sample temperature, extraction time, and nitrogen flow rate) were investigated, and a quadratic model with interactions was postulated. Twenty experiments was performed, each producing five responses. It was shown that the best conditions for the extraction procedure were those characterized by the highest values of the three variables investigated. |
