Gas Chromatography-Olfactometry (GC-O) is an essential technique in aroma analysis. Olfactory detection is often performed in parallel with GC detection, for example, using a mass spectrometer. To ensure that an Olfactory Detection Port (ODP) is installed properly and is in good working condition, a performance checkout procedure is required. An ODP checkout standard has therefore been developed and its application is discussed in this document.

The latest generation GERSTEL ODP, the ODP 4, can be used as a sniff port for olfactory detection using the human nose, including for calibrated olfactory assessors, and can also be temporarily fitted with an adapter for a sorbent tube to be inserted at various chromatographic retention times to trap GC eluate for further enrichment or analysis. An example of this function ispresented in this work.