According to the first method for the determination of 1,2-propanediol in foods specified by the national food safety standard GB 5009.251-2016, 1,2-propanediol was extracted from milk powder using acetonitrile and was detected using a gas chromatograph (GC). Extraction solvent and standing time were investigated by one-factor-at-a-time method. Furthermore, response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize oscillation time and standing time based on 1,2-propanediol recovery. The optimum extraction conditions were determined as acetonitrile, 4 ℃, 94–102 s and 1.2–1.4 h for extraction solvent, standing temperature, oscillation time and standing time, respectively. Under these conditions, the spiked recovery range of 1,2-propanediol was 95.2%–99.8%. The coefficient of variation for repeatability of the method was 1.62%, and it had good selectivity. The optimized method is suitable for the determination of 1,2-propanediol in milk powder.