Chemical Identification of Coconut Shell Liquid Smoke

Abstract

Coconut shell liquid smoke is produced from a chemical pyrolysis process that involved smoke bearing water vapor from burning coconut shells in very high temperature. Materials used in this study were coconut shell liquid smoke with three different grades. Visually, grade 1 liquid smoke was clear. Grade 2 liquid smoke was reddish in color and not as clear as grade 1, while grade 3 was dark brown. This difference may indicate that each grade had different chemical compositions. The aim of this study was to identify the chemical compounds of the three different grades of coconut shell liquid smoke using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS). Extraction was carried out using Head Space Solid Phase Micro Extraction (HS-SPME). Result showed that the coconut shell liquid smoke contains high content of polyphenol. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) including benzo(a)pyrene were also found. The findings of this study may be useful as basis in the determination of the application of the different grades of coconut shell liquid smoke.