## 4 Conclusions  
VOCs emitted in the headspace air of commercial beverages belong to different classes of compounds such as esters, alkenes, aldehydes, terpenes/terpenoids, alcohols, and aromatic compounds, which are used mostly as flavoring agents or as flavor enhancers in carbonated drinks. In the present study, a number of 40 volatile organic compounds were identified in the four types of commercial non-alcoholic beverages. Using static HS-GC/MS as an extraction and identification technique, a screening method was proposed that facilitated the creation of the VOC flavor profile. The main compounds identified were esters, which play a significant role in creating aromas. Although many compounds from the present study are confirmed as coming from natural sources, artificial flavors are used in the beverage industry to meet the needs of the economic space. Therefore, according to current regulations, a safety evaluation of any impurities and contaminants in artificial flavors should be performed. Reducing the consumption of commercial drinks due to the effects additives might potentially produce on health must be taken into account: allergic reactions, gastrointestinal disturbances, neurological effects, or carcinogenic concerns. Either natural or artificial flavors are added compounds which should be avoided since natural beverages without additives offer more potential health benefits. Another significant concern related to the consumption of synthetic flavors in non-alcoholic beverages is the potential for long-term exposure and the accumulation of these compounds in the various tissues and organs, which may result in adverse health effects. The cumulative exposure to synthetic flavors can increase the risk of developing chronic health conditions over time, as the body may struggle to metabolize and eliminate these substances efficiently. Additionally, the interaction of synthetic flavors with other compounds in the body or with medications could lead to unforeseen health complications.  
The following supporting information can be downloaded at: [[https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/app14051910/s1](https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/app14051910/s1)]([https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/app14051910/s1](https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/app14051910/s1)), Table S1: Commercial beverages involved in the qualitative study; Figure S1: Total ion chromatograms (TIC) for all non-alcoholic beverages tested: (a) apple juice, (b) commercial tea, (c) carbonated lemon drink, and (d) flavored sparkling water; Figure S2: The MS profiles of the VOCs identified in the apple juice sample; Figure S3: TheMS profiles of the VOCs identified in the commercial tea; Figure S4: The MS profiles of the VOCs identified in the carbonated lemon drink; Figure S5: The MS profiles of the VOCs identified in the flavored sparkling water.  
Conceptualization, V.A.P., N.I.C. and F.L.C.; methodology, V.A.P., N.I.C. and L.F.P.; software, N.I.C. and V.C.C.; validation, V.A.P., N.I.C. and V.C.C.; formal analysis, V.A.P., N.I.C. and V.C.C.; investigation, V.A.P., N.I.C. and V.C.C.; resources, L.F.P. and F.L.C.; data curation, L.F.P. and F.L.C.; writing--original draft preparation, V.A.P., N.I.C. and V.C.C.; writing--review and editing, F.L.C.; visualization, L.F.P.; supervision, F.L.C.; project administration, L.F.P.; funding acquisition, N.I.C. and V.C.C. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.  
This research received no external funding.  
Not applicable.  
Data Availability Statement: Data is contained within the article or Supplementary Materials.  
The authors acknowledge the financial support offered by Ministry of Research, Innovation, and Digitalization, for financial support. Romanian National Research Program \"Nucleu\" through contract no. 20N/2019, Project code PN 19 04 01 01.  
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.