Structure of butter. IV. Effect of modification of cream ripening and fatty acid composition on the consistency of butter

In the opinion of many consumers, butter is difficult to spread while being cold. The combined effect of enrichment with milk fat fractions of differe nt melting points and of heat-step cream ripening resulting in the improvem ent of spreadability has been investigated. The experiments show that, parallel to the decrease in the melting point of low melting point (LMP) milk fat fraction (20 - 15 -10 degrees C) the spre adability of butter increases at a low temperature (5 degrees C) and remain s approximately constant at ambient temperature (20 degrees C). Similarly, heat-step cream ripening increases the spreadability of butter at a low tem perature. LMP milk fat fraction of melting point 10 degrees C increases the spreadability of butter considerably up to 25% and only to a smaller degre e with higher concentrations. Based on the analysis of the temperature-butter firmness curves, it has bee n stated that while the addition of a low melting point fraction decreases the consistency firmness of butter in the examined range of temperature (0- 25 degrees C), whereas heat-step cream ripening decreases the firmness of b utter only at low temperatures (below 10 degrees C) and increases it at roo m temperature (20-25 degrees C). By the combination of the addition of 25% milk fat fraction of 10 degrees C melting point and the heat-step cream rip ening butter with good spreadability could be produced which does not melt at room temperature.