Gas chromatographic determination of formaldehyde in coffee via thiazolidine derivative

Thiazolidine formed from trace quantities of formaldehyde in an aqueous solution containing cysteamine at pH 8 was extracted with chloroform and subsequently analyzed by a gas chromatograph equipped with a fused silica capillary column and a thermionic nitrogen-phosphorus specific detector. Recoveries of formaldehyde from the aqueous solutions at levels lower than 1 ppm were slightly over 100%. Quantitative analysis of formaldehyde in commercial brewed and instant coffees showed 3.4-4.5 ppm in the brewed and 10-16.3 ppm in the instant coffee.