Measurement of the isotope ratio of acetic acid in vinegar by HS-SPME-GC-TC/C-IRMS.

Acetic acid is the main ingredient of vinegar, and the worth of vinegar often depends on the fermentation of raw materials. In this study, we have developed a simple and rapid method for discriminating the fermentation of the raw materials of vinegar by measuring the hydrogen and carbon isotope ratio of acetic acid using head space solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) combined with gas chromatography-high temperature conversion or combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-TC/C-IRMS). The measurement of acetic acid in vinegar by this method was possible with repeatabilities (1sigma) of +/-5.0 per thousand for hydrogen and +/-0.4 per thousand for carbon, which are sufficient to discriminate the origin of acetic acid. The fermentation of raw materials of several vinegars was evaluated by this method.