Evaluation of volatile organic compounds in alcoholic beverages consumed in Korea

Volatile organic compounds including acetaldehyde, methanol, and higher alcohols such as 1-propanol and 3-methyl-1-butanol in 75 domestic and imported alcoholic beverages consumed in Korea were investigated and evaluated using a gas chromatograph equipped with a mass spectrometer. The acetaldehyde contents in the studied samples ranged from 0.02 to 11.73 mg/L, and were highest in refined rice wines and fruit wines. Only the wine and fruit wine samples contained methanol, at concentrations in the range of 1.42–23.81 mg/L. The 1-propanol content was highest in whisky, while the 3-methyl-1-butanol content ranged from 4.45 to 280 mg/L in all samples other than Korean distilled liquor.