| Abstract
| - Organic acids are relevant in dairy products for nutritional reasons and because they contribute tothe flavor and aroma. They are the major products of carbohydrate catabolism of lactic acid bacteriaand nonstarter bacteria associated with milk. In several research and quality programs, it is veryimportant to develop a rapid and sensitive method for their quantitative determination in dairy productsto monitor bacterial growth and activity. A capillary electrophoresis method for the simultaneousdetermination of oxalic, citric, formic, succinic, orotic, uric, pyruvic, acetic, propionic, lactic, and butyricacid in less than 18 min has been developed. Various parameters affecting analysis, including capillarylength, type, composition, and pH of the electrolyte have been optimized. Some alternatives aregiven to improve the separation of particular organic acids of special interest. Its application to analyzethe quality of some dairy products has been investigated. In addition, the suitability of the techniqueto determine profiles of organic acids generated during the metabolism of heat-shocked spores hasbeen demonstrated. Keywords: Organic acids; milk; capillary electrophoresis; heat-shocked spores
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