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Carbonation of Butter

Department of Dairy Husbandry, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois

ABSTRACT

The carbonation of sweet cream as done in these experiments tended to suppress certain types of bacteria but did not hinder other types of bacteria from their multiplication. This effect of the carbonation caused a delay in the souring of the cream. The length of time of this delay depended on the temperature at which the cream was held and probably also on the amount and on the kind of the initial bacterial contamination. At room temperature the delay was a matter of about two hours while at a temperature of 35°F. it was a matter of several days.

When the carbon dioxide was applied at churning time by charging the cream in the churn and by replacing the air above the cream in the churn by the gas, no significant benefit appeared to be derived there from. The gas caused the butter when fresh to taste sourish and this taste tended to cover the taste due to the neutralizer used in the cream. The molds were not inhibited by this treatment. Both the laboratory as well as the commercial creamery experiments showed that this method of application of carbon dioxide did not measurably affect the germ life in the butter nor did it cause the butter to have better flavors to keep longer.

When the carbon dioxide was applied by storing the butter in the gas in an air tight container, it completely inhibited the development of the molds in the butter. It also prolonged the keeping quality of the butter when held at cold temperature. However, in time the butter stored in carbon dioxide also developed undesirable flavors.

The result of these experiments indicate that the carbonation of the cream intended for butter, or the carbonation of the butter during churning operation does not result in any special benefit to justify the use of carbon dioxide in this manner.

Hunziker (11), reported that the carbonation of butter as done commercially—that is, when applied at churning time—is of no special value to the butter industry.

Rettger, Winslow and Smith (12) found that the carbonation of ice cream as done commercially has no appreciable affect on the germ life or on the vitamin in the ice cream.

Prucha, Brannon and Ambrose (10) reported that they could find no significant effect of carbonation of ice cream on the germ life therein.

Such results are to be expected when the available information on the influence of carbon dioxide on germ life is carefully examined.

The carbonation of beverages is successful because the beverages are carbonated and are kept in air tight containers in this gas, under pressure. Donald Jones and Maclean recommended a pressure of 70 pounds. If these drinks were carbonated at the time they are prepared and then left in unsedled containers the beneficial effect of carbonation would disappear. Our results from experiments on milk kept under pressure indicate that much higher pressure is necessary in case of dairy products to completely inhibit the bacterial activities in them.

All the evidence from these studies point to the conclusion that in order to obtain any appreciable benefits from the carbonation of the butter, it is necessary to store the butter in the atmosphere of carbon dioxide in an air tight container. Whether the benefits derived from such treatment are of any economic value will have to be demonstrated commercially on a large scale.