The measurement uncertainty was estimated for the determination of 1-oleic-2-palmitic-3-linoleic acid triglyceride (OPL) content in milk powder by gas chromatography (GC). According to the Measurement and Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (JJF 1059.1—2012) and the Guidance on Quantifying Uncertainty in Chemical Analysis (CNAS-GL 006: 2019), a mathematical model was established to analyze the sources of measurement uncertainty. The major factors affecting the measurement uncertainty were evaluated. Results showed that the average OPL content of six milk powder samples was measured to be 1.172 g/100 g. The relative expanded uncertainty (u_rel) was 0.0236 with a coverage probability of approximately 95%. The standard uncertainty arising from sample preparation was the main source of uncertainty.

A gas chromatographic (GC) method for the determination of 1-oleic-2-palmitic-3-linoleic-triglyceride (OPL) in milk powder was established. The samples were extracted with ether and petroleum ether, and the extract was concentrated to near dryness, re-dissolved in n-heptane, separated on a CP-TAP CB elastic quartz capillary column, detected by a hydrogen flame ionization detector, and quantified by an external standard method. The column temperature was programmed to rise. The inlet temperature was set at 330 ℃. The samples (1.0 μL) were injected using the split mode (1:10). The detector temperature was set at 360 ℃. Nitrogen was used as the carrier gas. The makeup flow rate (nitrogen) was 25 mL/min. The recovery of OPL from spiked milk powder at 1–6 g/100 g ranged from 95.2% to 101.9%, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) for precision ranged from 1.289% to 1.998%. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) of the proposed method were 0.2 and 1.0 g/100 g, respectively. This method, therefore, is simple, accurate, repeatable, and suitable for the determination of OPL in milk powder.