A study of volatiles of young citrus fruits from four areas based on GC–MS and flash GC e-nose combined with multivariate algorithms.

[Display omitted] • Flavor characteristics of Qingpi from four regions were evaluated by flash GC E-nose. • More than one hundred and twenty-four volatile components are identified by GC–MS. • Chemometrics and algorithms were explored to discriminate Qingpi geographical origins. • The study can provide a reference for the quality control in food and other agricultural commodities. The present study has successfully established a scientific and precise approach for distinguishing the geographical origins of young citrus fruits (Qingpi) from four primary production regions in China, using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and flash gas chromatography electronic nose (flash GC e-nose) to analyze the volatile composition and odor characteristics. Through the application of chemometric analysis, a clear differentiation among Qingpi samples was established using GC–MS. Additionally, the application of flash GC e-nose facilitated the extraction of flavor information, which enabled the discrimination of geographical origins. Several flavor components were identified as significant factors for origin certification. Furthermore, two pattern recognition algorithms were employed to achieve high accuracy in regional identification. The results of this investigation demonstrate that the amalgamation of multivariate chemometrics and algorithms can proficiently discern the sources of those young citrus fruits. The findings of this research can provide a reference for the assessment of quality control in food and other agricultural commodities in the times ahead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]