Influence of Free Fatty Acids on Sweet Cream Butter Flavor

Abstract

SUMMARY A threshold pattern for the even‐numbered free fatty acids (FFA) in butter depended on chian‐length. Butyric acid had the lowest total average flavor threshold (AFT) of the more volatile FFA, and the total AFT values increased as chain‐length increased through hexanoic and octanoic acids. Threshold values decreased from octanoic acid through dodecanoic acid as the chain‐length increased. The determination of AFT values for FFA in butter allowed an estimation of the importance of fatty acids in butter flavor. Mixture threshold results obtained support the concept that flavor components interact at subthreshold concentrations. Decrease in preference was shown for butter containing suprathershold levels of total FFA.

Volatile compounds in butter oil: II. Flavour and flavour thresholds of lactones, fatty acids, phenols, indole and skatole in deodorized synthetic butter

“…The butter which they used, although made from high quality fresh American cream, contained a level of free fatty acids which in Australia would be regarded as objectionable. Rather than flavour thresholds the results of McDaniel et al (1969) appear to indicate the level of free fatty acids at which butter would be found undesirable in the U.S.A. In view of the complexity of the medium, the results of these latter authors do not appear either to prove or disprove the existence of flavour interaction between fatty acids.…”

“…Wasserman (1966) found values of 0-021 and 0-07 ppm for the odour threshold of o-methoxyphenol in water and oil respectively compared to our value of 0-002 ppm in synthetic deodorized butter. McDaniel, Sather & Lindsay (1969) attempted to determine the flavour thresholds of free fatty acids in butter. The butter which they used, although made from high quality fresh American cream, contained a level of free fatty acids which in Australia would be regarded as objectionable.…”

The flavors of dairy fats—A review

“…Evidence showed that fatty acids at subthreshold concentration interact to contribute to desirable butter flavor. Butters with total levels of fatty acids above threshold had inferior flavors (35).…”

Storage Stability of Sweet Cream Butter Prepared From Goat Milk

“…The FFA profile of goat cream butters in the present study was not different from that of sweet cream butters prepared with dairy cow milk. 19,20 However, the individual concentrations of FFA were significantly different between the butters prepared dairy cow and goat milk, especially in short-chain FFA. In general, volatile compounds such as FFA are contributed to the flavor of sweet cream butter, whereas excessive amounts of FFA (C4 to C18) from butterfat induced by lipase are known as the hydrolytic rancidity flavor in the sweet cream butter.…”

“…A higher amount of shorter chain FFA (C4 to C12) is responsible for rancid flavor; however, longer chain FFA (C14 to C18) is not important in terms of rancidity. 21 According to the sensory perception of FFA in the sweet cream butter from cow milk, 19,22 butyric (C4:0) and caproic (C6:0) acids are primarily responsible for hydrolytic rancidity off-flavor such as butyric acid and goat-like flavors, respectively. Caprylic acid (C8:0) also contributes goat-like flavors in the butter.…”