RESUMEN
Headspace solid-phase microextraction has been applied to the analysis of aroma compounds in vinegar. Silica fibre coated with Carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane was found to be more efficient at extracting these compounds than other fibres such as those coated with polydimethylsiloxane, Carbowax-divinylbenzene, and polydimethylsiloxane-divinylbenzene, but its repeatability was low. Different parameters such as extraction time, temperature of the sample during the extraction, ionic strength, and sample volume were optimised using a two-level factorial design expanded further to a central composite design. This chemometric tool is very appropriate in screening experiments where the aim is to investigate several possibly influential and/or interacting factors. The extraction efficiency is inversely affected by the acetic acid content-an increase in the acetic acid concentration decreases the extraction efficiency. No interference is observed with the increase in content of polyphenols.