Influence of Emulsifiers and Dairy Ingredients on Manufacturing, Microstructure, and Physical Properties of Butter

The influence of emulsifiers and dairy solids on churning and physical attributes of butter was investigated. Commercial dairy cream was blended with each of the ingredients (0.5%, w/w) separately, aged overnight (10 °C), and churned (10 °C) into butter. The employed additives showed a distinctive impact on the macroscopic properties of butter without largely affecting the melting behavior. In fresh butter, polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) emulsifier having dominated hydrophobic moieties significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced the softness. Among dairy solids, sodium caseinate (SC) was the most effective in reducing the solid fat fraction, hardness, and elastic modulus (G’), while whey protein isolate (WPI) and whole milk powder (WMP) produced significantly harder, stiffer, and more adhesive butter texture. As per tribological analysis, PGPR, Tween 80, and SC lowered the friction-coefficient of butter, indicating an improved lubrication property of the microstructure. The extent of butter-setting during 28 days of storage (5 °C) varied among the samples, and in specific, appeared to be delayed in presence of WPI, WMP, and buttermilk solids. The findings of the study highlighted the potential of using applied emulsifiers and dairy-derived ingredients in modifying the physical functionality of butter and butter-like churned emulsions in addition to a conventional cream-ageing process.