High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography for Rapid Sugar Profiling in Commercial Dairy Products

High-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) was evaluated as a rapid screening method for sugar analysis in commercial dairy products. Various milk and yogurt samples, including plain, flavored, lactose-free, and plant-based alternatives, were analyzed to identify and quantify their sugar compositions. Following derivatization, sugars were differentiated based on both Rf values and characteristic spot coloration. HPTLC demonstrated superior chromatographic performance compared to conventional TLC, providing well-resolved spots for lactose, fructose, sucrose, glucose, and galactose, whereas standard TLC suffered from band broadening and overlapping zones. This method offers a cost-effective, rapid screening tool for dairy product authentication, quality control, and verification of sugar composition, with potential applications in nutritional labeling verification and detection of sugar adulteration in food products.