Survey of Fluid and Nonfat Dry Milks for N-Nitrosamines

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Abstract
Milk and dairy products were examined for the presence of volatile N-nitrosamines, a class of compounds carcinogenic to a broad range of animal species. Nitrosamines were detected and quantitated by a gas-liquid chromatograph interfaced with a thermal energy analyzer. Detectable N-nitrosodimethylamine, the only nitrosamine found, ranged from 0.05 ppb for whole milk to 0.30 ppb for nonfat dry milk. No N-nitrosodimethylamine was detected in raw milk; 11 of 21 samples of pasteurized milk contained apparent N-nitrosodimethylamine at a mean of 0.10 ppb. N-nitrosodimethylamine also was detected, but not confirmed by mass spectrometry, in evaporated and condensed milk with means of 0.32 ppb and 0.58 ppb and in 9 of 10 nonfat dry milk samples with a mean of 1.69 ppb. Upon reconstitution condensed milk and nonfat dry milk contained N-nitrosodimethylamine comparable to that in pasteurized milk. No N-nitrosodimethylamine was detected in cultured milk products such as buttermilk and yogurt.