[Objective] This study aimed to investigate the effects of heat treatment intensity on the content and composition of short-chain fatty acids （SCFAs） in milk.[Method] Using raw milk from the same batch subjected to indirect heat treatments （75 °C/15 s,122 °C/4 s,137 °C/4 s） and direct heat treatment （130 °C/0.5 s）,the contents of SCFAs and free short-chain fatty acids Free short-chain fatty acids （FSCFAs） were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry （GC-MS）,and differential analysis was performed.[Result] Both direct and indirect heat treatments led to unavoidable losses in total short-chain fatty acids （TSCFAs） and total free short-chain fatty acids （TFSCFAs） in raw milk. At the FSCFAs level,heat treatment alters the proportions of each FSCFAs,especially C2:0,C3:0 and C5:0,which may serve as potential markers for differentiating raw milk from heat-treated milk.[Conclusion] This study reveals the variation patterns of SCFAs and FSCFAs in milk under different heat treatment conditions,enriches the research data on the impact of heat treatment intensity on short-chain fatty acids in milk,and provides a reference for dairy quality evaluation and safety control.

heat treatment  /  short-chain fatty acids（SCFAs）  /  milk  /  free short-chain fatty acids（FSCFAs）