Hydroxymethylfurfural determination in infant milk-based formulas by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography

A procedure for determining hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) in milk-based products by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MECC) was settled on. The effect of the trichloroacetic acid on the migration time of HMF and presence of interference peaks were investigated. MECC procedure was applied on commercial liquid infant formulas and compared with the classical reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography method, giving similar values of repeatability and recovery. HMF peak was well-resolved by using an uncoated fused-silica capillary (48.5 cm×50 μm i.d.) with 50 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.5) containing 100 mM SDS as electrolyte, voltage at 20 kV (25°C). Sample injection was by pressure (50 mbar, hydrodynamic) for 2.5 s. HMF analysis by MECC was suitable for routine analysis since separation was completely achieved at 5 min.