A method based on formation of the fluorescamine derivative of taurine and HPLC was developed for analysis of taurine in milk. Taurine in milk ranged 2.4–12.0 mg/L.
The degradation of taurine in taurine-fortified milk and in a buffered taurine and lactose solution (pH 6.7) was determined by heating at 80, 100, and 120℃. First-order reaction kinetics were observed for taurine losses in milk and buffered solution.
Activation energies were 20.5 and 21.0 kcal/mol for milk and buffered solution, respectively. The taurine loss in milk seems to proceed through browning with the same degradation rate as lysine.
[So, since it shows very little degradation at 80C° after even 10 hours, it is probably safe to put taurine into things like hot tea—it is prolonged boiling, and greater-than-boiling, temperatures that rapidly destroy more than half of the taurine contents.]