Volatile compounds in butter oil: I. Lower boiling compounds

Abstract

Summary: The following compounds were isolated from best-quality Australian butter oil by high vacuum degassing, and identified by the combination of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry: the C_3,5,7,9 alkan-2-ones, the C_{2,4,6,8,10,12} n-alkanoic acids, the C_6,8,10 5-lactones (or their hydroxyacids), dimethyl sulphone, all isolated in amounts above 1 pt in 10⁸ of butter oil, and butanone, undecan-2-one, 5-dodecalactone, diacetyl, n-nonanoic acid, a decenoic acid, methyl n-decanoate, toluene, o-methoxyphenol, a cresol, phenol, benzaldehyde, methyl benzoate and benzothiazole, all isolated in amounts between 1 pt in 10¹¹ and 1 pt in 10⁸ of butter oil.No compound was isolated in an amount greater than flavour threshold, in fact most compounds were below one-tenth threshold level. However, the distillate obtained by degassing produced a very attractive creamy flavour when added to bland non-cultured butter.