Headspace gas chromatographic method for determining volatile compounds in infant formulas

• Published in: Journal of Chromatography A Vol. 1046; no. 1; pp. 235 - 239
• Main Authors: Romeu-Nadal, M, Castellote, A.I, López-Sabater, M.C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 13.08.2004; Elsevier
• Subjects: Analysis; Analytical biochemistry: general aspects, technics, instrumentation; Analytical chemistry; Analytical, structural and metabolic biochemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Calibration; Chemistry; Chromatographic methods and physical methods associated with chromatography; Chromatography, Gas - methods; Exact sciences and technology; Food analysis; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; General pharmacology; Headspace analysis; Hexanal; Humans; Infant Food - analysis; Infant formulas; Infant, Newborn; Medical sciences; Methods of analysis, processing and quality control, regulation, standards; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Reproducibility of Results; Volatile organic compounds; Volatilization; Volatile organic compounds; Infant formulas; Hexanal; Food analysis; Headspace analysis; Volatile compound; Gas chromatography; Analysis; Headspace; Volatile organic compound; Infant formula; Food
• ISSN: 0021-9673
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2004.06.032

Powder infant milk formula quality deterioration and consequently the termination of shelf life results in the appearance of off-flavors mainly determined by a composite effect of spoilage volatiles. A headspace gas chromatographic method to determine propanal, pentanal and hexanal as the main volatiles present in the headspace of powder infant formula oxidation is described as a rapid indication of oxidative status. Under optimum conditions the limits of detection for propanal, pentanal and hexanal were 17.19, 16.87 and 19.60 ng and the limits of quantification were 37.37, 31.96 and 35.97, respectively. The calibration graphs of the method were linear from 25 to 1500, 20 to 3500 and 30 to 8500 ng for propanal, pentanal and hexanal, respectively, with determination coefficients exceeding 0.99. The precision results showed that the relative standard deviations of the repeatability and reproducibility were between 2.2 and 5.5%. The analytical method was simple, rapid, and reliable and permitted the analysis of a large number of formulas using small sample volumes.