There is described a coated solid phase microextraction (SPME) fiber for use in direct immersion SPME of a food matrix that includes carbohydrates. The coated SPME fiber includes a SPME fiber for absorbing a small molecule from the food matrix; and a protective coating which has a surface that is substantially uniform and substantially smooth, the protective coating reducing adsorption of the carbohydrates onto the SPME fiber and allowing the SPME fiber to extract the small molecule from the food matrix. A process for producing the coated SPME fiber and a method of performing solid phase microextraction are also described.