DSC AND EPR INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECT OF FAT CRYSTALLIZATION ON THECONSISTENCY OF BUTTER

It was possible to determine the liquid fat content and melting behavi our of butters unenriched and enriched in low melting point milk fat f raction (mp=10 degrees C) made from traditionally (6-11-11 degrees C) and heat step technology ripened (6-20-11 degrees C) cream by using EP R spectroscopy and ultrasensitive DSC methods. It was determined that butters made from heat step technology (H) ripened cream have smaller liquid fat content in the continuous fat phase than that of made from traditionally (K) ripened cream, there were different fat melting beha viours: the K-butter in temperature range of 0-20 degrees C had one me lting peak while H-butter had two ones, and the effect of enrichment i s different in the fraction of low melting point: the melting temperat ure decreased in the case of K-butter, but the H-butter exhibited smal ler enthalpy at the lower melting temperature having same melting temp eratures. Our experiments support the view that H-butter is much more structured than K-butter which is caused by fat fragments containing c ubic crystals, developed during the ripening of heat step technology. With respect to the minimum liquid fat content of maximum fat fragment s, and vice versa, the cream ripening temperature of solid and spreada ble butter can be optimalized by determination of cream ripening tempe rature-liquid fat content function (min.-max. curve) The experiments h ave proved without any doubt that butter of cold spreadable, not softe ning at room temperature, can be only produced by the combination of h eat step cream ripening and enrichment with a low melting point fracti on.