Origin of the Carbon Dioxide Produced in the Browning Reaction of Evaporated Milk

To determine the relative importance of lactose caramelization in the browning of evaporated milk, uniformly labeled lactose was added to milk samples before sterilization. The COs produced in the browning reaction was recovered as BaCO~ and its specific activity was determined. It was found that about 4% of the total CO~ produced by sterilization of milk at 242 F. for 15 rain. can be traced to caramelization of lactose.