Relationship of Acid Number Variations to the Qualities and Flavor Defects of Commercial Butter

Changes occurring in the fat of butter are of great importance from the standpoints of flavor and keeping quality of the product. Hydrolysis of the fat may set free some of the lower fatty acids, particularly butyric, caproic and caprylic, causing a condition commonly referred to as rancidity, constituting one of the most serious defects occurring in butter. Rancidity frequently develops in samples of commercial butter when they are subjected to keeping quality tests.