Correlation of Geographical Location with Stable Isotope Values of Hydrogen and Carbon of Fatty Acids from New Zealand Milk and Bulk Milk Powder

The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation of delta H-2 and delta C-13 of bulk milk powder and milk powder fatty acids to their production region. A total of 46 milk powder samples from across New Zealand were collected and analyzed. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the delta H-2 and delta C-13 of four fatty acids (C4:0, C14:0, C16:0, C18:1) and bulk milk powder were found to be correlated with regional production area. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) models were prepared using different combinations of bulk and fatty acid delta H-2 and delta C-13. All models were effective in discriminating samples from the North and South Islands. The LDA model using just fatty acid delta H-2 and delta C-13 provided the best separation. Therefore, the isotopic composition of the aforementioned fatty acids can be utilized as a good biomarker in milk powder that conveys reliable isotopic information to track milk powders to their regional origin.