Comprehensive Two‐Dimensional Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Different Types of Vegetable Oils

Comprehensive two‐dimensional gas chromatography coupled with time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC‐TOFMS) was applied for detailed characterization of fatty acid profile of 8 vegetable oils. Due to enhanced selectivity and sensitivity characteristics, the GC×GC method yielded more reliable quantification results compared to one dimensional gas chromatography, especially for medium‐chain fatty acids and odd‐carbon number fatty acids, which are present only at trace level. All problematic positional counterparts of unsaturated fatty acids (e.g. C21:0–C20:3 ω6, C20:3ω3–C20:4 ω6 and C20:5 ω3–C22:0), which commonly coeluted in the case of 1D gas chromatography, were baseline resolved. The specific compounds were found for particular vegetable oils, such as γ‐linolenic acid for hempseed oil, heneicosylic acid and tricosylic acid for olive pomace oil, and nervonic acid for mustard oil.