Quality control of coffee using the FOX4000 electronic nose

This paper describes the steps required to validate a FOX4000 system. The first step in developing and validating the FOX4000 involves an initial feasibility study with method optimisation. Secondly, the stability of the discrimination with and without calibration is assessed. Finally, once the QC procedure and databanks are assessed, databanks from R&D can then be moved to QC. For this to occur, transferability of the database from R&D to the QC instrumentation needs to be tested and validated. These steps were shown using a combination of coffee as a case study with pure products as a known reference. One month of instrument stability (uncalibrated) of discrimination was shown. This stability was improved to six months of discrimination stability with the use of calibration materials. In the test, the reproducibility of three different instruments were shown to give the same results for the three coffees and pure products used in the six month analysis. In conclusion, the FOX4000 has been validated from R&D to the production shop floor for continuous use.