In this article we will discuss about:- 1. Introduction to Butter 2. History and Definition of Butter 3. Classification 4. Composition, Food and Nutritive Value 5. Method of Manufacture, Packaging and Storage 6. Distribution and Overrun.
Introduction to Butter:
Butter leads amongst the milk products manufactured in developed dairying countries of the world today. The world’s recorded annual butter production in 1969 has been estimated to have been 5,584 thousand tonnes; and India’s contribution in the same was 448 thousand tonnes, i.e., 8 per cent of the world’s total. The production of creamery butter in India in 1966 was estimated to have been about 6.3 per cent of the total milk production and 11.3 per cent of the milk used for the manufacture of dairy products.
Butter serves as the balance wheel of the dairy industry; surplus milk is converted into butter, while during times of scarcity the milk intended for butter-making is used for more essential products.
History and Definition of Butter:
The art of butter-making has a long history. The manufacture of creamery butter has been confined to the ‘colder’ regions of the world, where gravity creaming has been successful. References to butter are found in the Old Testament.
In the past, butter was an article of commerce and a sign of wealth. Upto the middle of the nineteenth century, factory butter-making was unknown; most butter was made on the farm from cream obtained by gravity creaming. However, with the development of the centrifugal cream separator (1879), Fat test, butter churns, artificial refrigeration, etc., factory butter-making developed rapidly.
Definition:
Butter may be defined as a fat concentrate which is obtained by churning cream, gathering the fat into a compact mass and then working it.
According to the PFA Rules (1976), table (creamery) butter is the product obtained from cow or buffalo milk or a combination thereof, or from cream or curd obtained from cow or buffalo milk or a combination thereof, with or without the addition of common salt and annatto or carotene as colouring matter. It should be free from other animal fats, wax and mineral oils, vegetable oils and fats.
No preservative except common salt and no colouring matter except annatto or carotene may be added. It must contain not less than 80 per cent by weight of milk fat, not more than 1.5 per cent by weight of curd and not more than 3 per cent by weight of common salt.
Diacetyl may be added as a flavouring agent but, if so used, the total diacetyl content must not exceed 4 ppm. Calcium hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium polyphosphates may be added, but must not exceed the weight of butter as a whole by more than 0.2 per cent.
Classification of Butter:
Many kinds of butter are to be found in the market. These differ with the type of cream from which they are made and with variations in the manufacturing process. Unless specifically mentioned, the different kinds of butter may or may not have been salted.
A brief description of several kinds of butter follows:
(a) Pasteurized Cream Butter:
Made usually from pasteurized sweet cream. Such butter usually has a milder flavour than that made from similar cream not pasteurized.
(b) Ripened Cream Butter:
Made from cream in which a pleasant delicate aroma has been developed before churning by ripening (i.e., inoculating the cream with a butter culture and holding it at a desired temperature). Properly made, ripened cream butter has a delicate flavour which is sometimes referred to as ‘real butter flavour’.
(c) Unripened Cream Butter:
Made from unripened cream. The flavour of such butter is usually mild.
(d) Salted Butter:
Butter to which salt has been added.
(e) Unsalted Butter:
Contains no added salt.
(f) Sweet Cream Butter:
In this case, the acidity of the churned cream does not exceed 0.20 per cent.
(g) Sour Cream Butter:
Made from cream which has more than 0.20 per cent acidity.
(h) Fresh Butter:
Such butter has not undergone cold storage. (Usually, fresh butter is not kept for more than 3 weeks.)
(i) Cold Storage Butter:
Here, it has been stored at a temperature of about — 18°C (0°F) for some time. (Generally cold storage butter is from one to six months old when offered for retail trade.)
(j) Dairy Butter (USA):
Made on a farm. It is usually made from unpasteurized sour cream which has not been standardized for acidity. This butter generally has a sour flavour due to the high acid content of the cream.
(k) Creamery Butter:
Made in a creamery or dairy factory. It is more uniform in quality than ‘dairy butter’.
Composition, Food and Nutritive Value of Butter:
According to the PFA Rules (1976), table/creamery butter should contain not less than 80 per cent fat, not more than 1.5 per cent curd and not more than 3.0 per cent common salt. The typical composition of Indian butter has been given in Table 4.1.
Food and Nutritive Value:
Butter is very high in fat and fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.
Method of Manufacture, Packaging and Storage of Butter:
Flow Diagram of Manufacture:
Distribution and Overrun of Butter:
This is usually done from the butter factory to the wholesaler in the original bulk package and to the retailer in wrapped pats in cartons/boxes or tin cans. The temperature during the entire period of distribution should preferably beat -18°C to -29°C (0 to 20°F). It may also be sold in retail trade from a deep freeze/refrigerated butter box.
Overrun:
The weight of butter obtained from a given lot of cream exceeds the amount of fat in the cream. That amount of butter which exceeds the fat present in cream is called overrun.
Definition:
Overrun may be defined as the increase in the amount of butter made from a given amount of fat. It is usually expressed as a percentage.
Cause:
Overrun is caused by the presence (in addition to that of fat) of moisture, curd, salt, etc., in butter.
Importance:
It is a source of profit to the butter-maker (economical aspect); and also helps to check the efficiency of factory operations (technical aspect).
Types:
(i) Theoretical (Pencil):
Maximum obtainable, viz. 25* per cent.
(ii) Composition:
Based on composition of finished butter.
(iii) Actual:
On the basis of fat actually bought and butter made therefrom.
(iv) Factory:
On the basis of total butter recorded as packed for sale and fat recorded, as received.
(v) Churn:
For any particular churning.
Factors Influencing Overrun:
These are- inaccuracy in weight or fat test of milk, cream or butter; fat losses in skim milk or buttermilk; mechanical fat losses; unavoidable fluctuations in the fat content of butter; weight allowance in butter packs or cream or butter; handling losses, etc.
Formula:
Where,
OR = overrun in butter (usually expressed as a percentage)
B = butter made (kg.)
F = fat in churn (kg.).
Overrun in a Whole Milk Creamery:
(i) Problem:
10,000 kg. of 7% milk is received; 40% cream is separated; skim milk tests 0.1 %; (unwatered) buttermilk tests 0.5%; amount of buttermilk = kg. cream — 1.20 x fat in cream; miscellaneous fat losses are 0.5% of total fat received in whole milk; butter contains 80.5% fat; weight allowance is 10 g. for 1 kg. pack. How much butter is packed for sale? What is the percentage overrun?
Solution:
Yield:
This is calculated by the formula:
Note:
Under Indian conditions, assuming the percentage overrun to be 20, Y = F × 1.20.