The Relation of Phospholipids to Fat in Dairy Products

Producers Crca~nery CompAny, Springfield, ]lissouriIt is apparent from a study of the literature on the phospholipid content (as lecithin) of dairy products that there is a wide variation in the per cent "lecithin" between different milk products and also in the per cent "lecithin" in the fat extracted from the different products by the Mojonnier method.This paper, in a measure substantiates previous work on the "lecithin" content of dairy products and offers an explanation for the results obtained. REVIEW OF THE LITERATUREChapman (4) found that the per cent "lecithin" in the fatty extract obtained by the 1Viojonnier method was highest in buttermilk (20.25%), next highest in skim milk (10.78%) and milk (1.6%) and lowest in cream (.43%).This agrees with the work of Horrall (8) who reported as follows: buttermilk (19.66%), skim milk (13.91%), raw sweet cream (.428%), milk (.85%), butter from raw sweet cream (.232%).Holm, Wright, and Deysher (6) reported the following amounts as per cent lecithin in the product: whole milk, .0337; skim milk, .0169; 41% cream, .1816; butter, .1819; buttermilk, .]872.When calculated on the basis of per cent "lecithin" in the fat, these figures show close agreement with the results of Horrall and Chapman.Perlman (13) showed that the phospholipid content of the fatty extract of fresh cream shows a variable decrease with the increase in the fat content of the cream indicating a variable loss of the original milk phospholipids in the skim.The lipide phosphorous per unit of fat was found to decrease between 58 and 80 per cent fat.Close agreement with the foregoing was reported by Jack and Dahle ( 10).An extensive review of the literature on the "lecithin" content of dairy products is beyond the purpose of this paper and hence will not be presented ; however, should one be desired, see ttorrall (8) and Holm, et al. (5). ~¢IETI-IODS AND I~ESULTSThe term phospholipid is used to designate the fat like substances containing phosphorus that are extracted from milk and its products by the Mojonnier method.For convenience of comparison of the results obtained here with other results, the phospholipid was reported as per cent "lecithin" both in the product and in the fat extracted from the product using the for-l~eceived for publication March 10, 1939.The author is indebted to DeLaval Separator Company for the use of their S-16 machine.