Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-05-06
Fishy Flavor in Butter.

odtlcA 1llelhSlS Ill SSHSl cil 1ldVO ioli6
suffered heavy loss from fishy flavor,
a well-known depreciating factor in
the butter trade of different countries.
1t is not uniformly present, but occurs
more frequently in some countries than
| in others. For example, it is much more
common in butter from Australia than
in the Danish product In the United
States it is prevalent in certain Sec
tions of the country, especially in the
newer dairy localities, and one such re-
gion is known to commission men as
the Hnsny belt The cause of this tTou-
BILE has been a mystery and butter ex-
perts have been at loss to account
for its appearance, altho many the
cries have been advanced. Since 1905
the dairy division of the bureau of an
imal industry has been working on the
problem, and it's investigations have
| just been reported by L. A. Rogers,
who sets forth his findings in circular
LAG, which may be obtained on appli-
cation to the bureau of animal indus
try, Washington, D. C. 1t is believed
that his conclusions regarding the
cause and prevention of the trouble
will be of practical value to butter
makers
OF the undesirable flavors of butter
the various oily fiavors may be classed
as the most Objectionable and
troublesome. They range from
a slight suggestion of oil to
a strong flavor of machine OIL
In the latter case the inferior quality
of the butter becomes evident even to
the Indifferent consumer Fishy flavor,
I which lie N tho op
the oily flavors, gives to butter Pc
culiar oily taste suggesting mackerel
or salmon. Butter is frequently de-
scribed as fishy which is merely oily
or otherwise off flavor, but the typical
flavor of fishy butter is never mistaken
for any other.
While many things connected with
the butter making industry have been
ascribed as the cause, Mr.. Rogers is of
the opinion that fishy flavor is not pro-
duced by the action of any one factor,
but so far as he has been able to as
certain the immediate cause is par
ticular substance produced by the OK
idation of one of the combinations of
the acid developed in the ripening of
the cream. In other words, it is caused
by a. slow, spontaneous chemical
change to which acid is essential and
which is favored by the presence of
small amounts of oxygen.
1t has been a generally accepted
theory among buttermakers that sour
cream made the best butter. This idea
is reversed by the Investigations,
which bring forth the conclusion that
butter made from sweet cream does
not contain the elements that go to
make fshy flavor.
In all the experience butter made
in the last three years there has been
no trace of fshy. flavor in that made
from pasteurized sweet cream churned
without the addition of a starter In
butter made from pasteurized cream
with starter added but without any
subsequent ripening there had been no
fishy flavor, with one or two doubt
full exceptions. On. the other hand
many lots of experimental butter made
from we'll ripened cream developed
marked fishiness.
1t is evident, therefore, that there Is
; a direct relation between the acidity
Of cream and the development of fishy
flavor in the butter. However, as the
work progressed it became apparent
that the acidity, altho having q de-
termining influence on fishy flavor
was not the sole cause. With this fac
tor controlled 1t was impossible to
make butter with any certainty that II
would become fshy. frequently but
ter made from cream with q high
acidity showed Sc trace Of th!s favor
It was found that overworking the