Dynamic headspace gas chromatography of volatile compounds in milk

A method is described for investigating volatile compounds in milk. The volatiles are removed from milk by a stream of helium swept at 100 ml/min over the surface of the milk at 70 degrees C. They are trapped on 40 mg of NIOSH charcoal and then desorbed by heat and re-trapped on the front of a chromatographic column of Tenax-GC coated with 1% OV-275, the column being maintained at room temperature during trapping. An amount of 40 mg NIOSH charcoal under these conditions traps over 90% of the total quantity of the lowest boiling compounds swept from the milk, such as acetaldehyde and ethanol, and retains 100% of the total quantity of acetone, propanol and higher boiling compounds from the gas stream. The volume of milk and its temperature affect the ratios of volatiles collected and these factors are useful in increasing the proportion of a volatile of particular interest. The addition of potassium carbonate increases the yield of volatiles from 100 ml aqueous phase but not from 10 ml.