Physical Treatments Affecting the Solid Fat Content of Butter Fat: Thermal Treatment of Cream and Membrane Partition of Butter Oil

¹ Laboratoire de Physico-chimie et Génie Alimentaires, Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Agronornie et des Industries Alimentaires (ENSAIA), 54505 Vandoeuvre les Nancy, France

Seasonal variations of milk fat composition, affecting the solid fat content of butter, are used as a model to monitor the texture of the final product. Two methods have been investigated: 1) thermal treatment of cream, which is uncertain and restricted, and 2) a new membrane separation procedure applied to butter oil in a fully hydrophobic medium. Under specific hydrodynamic conditions, a slight variation of the composition leads to a magnification of the variation obtained on the solid fat. This effect is similar to the seasonal effect, allowing control of the final texture of the butter.

Key Words: composition • milk fat • heat treatment • membrane partition

Submitted on June 26, 1995
Accepted on April 1, 1996