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Relationship of Acid Number Variations to the Qualities and Flavor Defects of Commercial Butter¹

Dairy Department, Oklahoma A. and M. College, Stillwater, Oklahoma

ABSTRACT

Changes occurring in the fat of butter are of great importance from the standpoints of flavor and keeping quality of the product. Hydrolysis of the fat may set free some of the lower fatty acids, particularly butyric, caproic and caprylic, causing a condition commonly referred to as rancidity, constituting one of the most serious defects occurring in butter. Rancidity frequently develops in samples of commercial butter when they are subjected to keeping quality tests.

In butter made from unheated cream the lipase normally present in milk may cause fat hydrolysis. However, this enzyme is readily destroyed by the usual pasteurization procedure. Since there is little opportunity for significant recontamination of pasteurized cream or of butter with lipase, it probably has little effect on the keeping qualities of commercial butter.

Many micro-organisms are able to hydrolyze butterfat. Organisms of this type are widespread in nature, often being present in raw cream, water and dairy plant equipment.

¹ From a portion of a thesis presented to the Graduate School of Iowa State College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree.