Determination of the aroma impact compounds in heated sweet cream butter

This study was conducted to determine which volatile compounds are primarily responsible for the aroma of heated sweet cream butter. Static headspace analysis was used for aroma isolation and gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) for the selection of odour-active components. Quantification of selected odourants was done via purge and trap-GC/mass spectrometry (MS). Nineteen odour-active compounds were detected in the headspace (static) of heated butter (hydrogen sulphide, methanethiol, acetaldehyde, 2,3-butanedione, 1-hexen-3-one, butanoic acid, 3-methylbutanoic acid, 2-heptanone, methional, dimethyl trisulphide, 1-octen-3-one, hexanoic acid, furaneol, δ-hexanolactone, nonanal, (E)-2-nonenal, δ-octanolactone, skatole and δ-decanolactone). Aroma recombination studies followed by sensory analysis indicated that the aroma of our heated butter model was rated the same (similarity) as a heated commercial butter (obtained from local market) in comparison to a heated freshly manufactured butter. The aroma of a heated commercial unsalted butter and a heated butter aroma model of Budin also were significantly less similar than the aroma of our heated butter model in comparison to a heated freshly manufactured butter.