Relation of Linoleate and Linolenate to the Flavors of Autoxidized Milk Fat

Flavor concentrates obtained by high-vacuum distillation of the fat from autoxidized butter were fractionated by gas chromatography on butanediol sueeinate. The tallowy flavor of the concentrate was reproduced by reeombining three of the :12 gas chromatograph fractions. The first of these components migrated close to oetanal on the gas chromatograph and gave an oxidized flavor to milk. The second component migrated close to nndecanal and gave a grassy flavor to milk. The third component was 2,4-decadienal, which gave milk an oily flavar. The component which gave an oxidized flavor in homogenized milk at low concentration gave a metallic flavor in the fat phase at higher concentrations. Methyl linoleate was a precursor for the oxidized and oily flavors, and methyl linolenate was a precursor of the grassy flavor. These compounds are probably responsible for the major flavor characteristics of other autoxidized fats and oils.