Heat treatment of cream: A model of the butter texture response in relation with triglyceride composition

The effects of thermal treatments on butter texture are known and have been used since 1935 on an industrial scale, but without fundamental knowledge. Butter composition influences firmness, as observed through seasonal and regional variations. Experiments were carried out at 15°C by using a cone penetrometer and an industrial testing machine. A significant correlation between heat treatment efficiency and some prevalent triglycerides and fatty acids on butter firmness was outlined. Three fatty acids (myristic, oleic, palmitic) and four major groups of triglycerides mainly affected the firmness, sometimes leading to an inversion of the thermal effect, according to individual sample composition. A crystallographic and thermodynamic model based on triglycerides properties was developed.