Determination of volatile compounds and their sensory impact in a biopolymer based on polylactic acid (PLA) and polyester.

Polylactic acid (PLA) is one of the most commonly used biopolymers for manufacturing food packaging; its control is very important to ensure consumers' health. In this work, a blend of PLA and polyester was studied and its volatile composition in the polymer and in the migration to food simulants was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and atmospheric pressure gas chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (APGC-QTOF). The results showed that both techniques provided complementary information, to give complete information on the biopolymer's composition. Some compounds such as lactide or cyclopentanone were detected only by GC-MS while others, such as the cyclic dimer [AA-BD] (AA:adipic acid, BD:butanediol), were detected only by APGC-MS. In migration, lactide, AA-BD and [AA-BD] were identified in ethanol 95%. A GC-olfactometry study was also carried out. Some compounds showed sensory impact on the polymer odor but not in migration.