A Novel Approach to Quantify the Amount of Formaldehyde Added to Milk in Grana Padano Cheese Production

Little information is available on the reaction products of formaldehyde (FA) with milk components. An isoelectric focusing (IEF) method was developed which detected a unique protein band with pi = 6.7 in defatted Grana Padano cheese samples prepared with FA. The quantity of FA (ppm) added to milk may be extrapolated by calculating the amount of protein associated with this band. The IEF method was rapid, simple, highly specifiC., sensitive, reproducible, inexpensive and easy to utilized in routine controls.