Structure of butter III. Effect of modification of cream ripening and fatty acid composition on the melting properties of butter fat

By the differential scanning calorimetric method the melting and crystalliz ation characteristics of fat of the butters made of cream ripened tradition ally ("summer-type") and by the heat step method ("winter-type") and not en riched and enriched with a low melting point (LMP) milk fat fraction can be well detected. It has been stated that due to the heat-step ripening, compared to the trad itional ripening method, the single melting peak registered in the temperat ure range of 0-20 degrees C breaks down into 2 peaks. The addition of a LMP milk fat fraction decreases the temperature of the melting peak of butter made of traditionally ripened cream. However, the temperature of the double peak of butter made of cream ripened by the heat step method does not chan ge, but the enthalpy of the lower temperature melting peak will be higher. The results correspond to the knowledge on the homogenous and particle stru cture of butter. The melting point of fat of butter of homogenous structure made by the traditional cream ripening decreases due to the addition of a LMP fraction. At the same time, the LMP fraction will be incorporated in th e continuous fat phase surrounding the particles in butter of mainly partic le structure made of cream ripened by the heat step method.