Instrumental analysis of volatile (flavour) compounds in milk and dairy products

The present article reviews the most commonly used methods, techniques and equipments for instrumental analysis of volatile (flavour) compounds in milk and dairy products. After listing sorne previous important review articles, several methods commonly used for samp1e treatment are described, as weil as the following techniques for extraction and concentration prior to gas chromatographic (GC) analysis: static and dynamic headspace, steam distillation, high-vacuum distillation, molecular distillation, direct extraction (liquidlliquid or liquidlsolid), supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), simultaneous (steam) distillation extraction (SDE), dialysis, solid-phase extraction (SPE) and solid-phase microextraction (SPME). Two c1assical injection deviees are also described: oncolumn injection and the so-called 'purge and trap' system. The main advantages and disadvantages of CUITent commercially available types of fused silica capillary columns are briefly considered. The newly developed 'chiral' phases are also described. The article reviews sorne of the numerous detection systems used for qualitative and/or quantitative analyses such as FID or MS detection, FTIR detection, SCD, FPD and NPD detectors used for sulfur-and nitrogen-containing components, AED detection and the 'sniffing deviee'. Sorne usefullibrary search systems such as PBM, INCaS and SISCaM (ie, MassLib) are mentioned to complete the overview of this topic. Finally, this paper briefly points out sorne other methods (ie, photometrie), capable of determining various specifie chemical functions responsible for flavour (carbonyl compounds, etc), as weil as promising techniques involving new electronic noses. milk / dairy product / volatile compound / flavour / analytical method Rsum -L'analyse instrumentale des composs volatils (de l'arme) du lait et des produits laitiers, Le prsent article passe en revue les mthodes, techniques et quipements les plus utiliss Oral communication at the lDF Symposium 'Ripening and Quality of Cheeses ', Besanon, France, February 26-28, 1996.