Stability control and genuineness evaluation of lemon liquor: use of dynamic head space

Dynamic head space GC anal. technique was used to gather rapidly important data on the genuineness and stability of lemon liquor. Immediately after lemon liquor prepn., 1-L samples were sealed in bottles and stored in dark at room temp. After 1 h, without shaking the bottle, 1 mL of the liq. from the free liquor surface was taken by micropipette and transferred into 20-mL vial for dynamic head space GC anal. Close to 30 peaks were sepd. and a few identified as α-pinene, β-pinene, β-myrcene, limonene, and γ-terpinene. The data gave qual./quant. indications about the volatile components of lemon liquor and allowed to make some prognosis on the phenomenon of floating of essential oils to the surface which leads to the formation of unsightly "collarino" defect and seriously worsens the product marketing quality.