Free Fatty Acids and the Flavor of Dairy Products

Abstract

Studies in our laboratory have been aimed at the quantitative determination and sensory evaluation of free fatty acids in dairy products. Quantitative methods have been developed for free fatty acids in milk, butter, cheeses, and anhydrous milk fat; and sensory evaluation has aided in revealing the relative importance of free fatty acids in these products. Flavor panel results have indicated that the acids from butyric to lauric are responsible for the rancid flavor of whole milk, but no single acid in this series was of predominant importance. In butter, the additive flavor interaction of certain acids has been demonstrated, and the flavors of Swiss and Blue cheese have been simulated with mixtures of compounds including fatty acids. The problems involved in correlating analytical data with sensory evaluation are discussed. © 1969, American Dairy Science Association. All rights reserved.