Enhancing oxidative stability and quality of goat milk butter with antioxidants during refrigerated storage

Oxidative stability is a critical factor influencing the quality and shelf life of dairy products, including butter. Goat milk, renowned for its nutritional and health benefits, has seen limited application in butter production, and little is known about how antioxidants affect its stability and quality. This study aims to address this gap by evaluating the impact of antioxidants on the oxidative stability and quality parameters of goat milk butter during extended refrigerated storage.
 Goat cream butter was produced in five batches using continuous churning of cream. Each batch was divided into four portions: untreated (control) or treated with 0.02% (wt/wt fat) of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), α-tocopherol (TOC), or rosemary extract (RMS). Samples were stored at 5°C and analyzed after 0 (fresh), 1, 3, and 6 months. Quality parameters, including color (CIE, L*a*b*), texture, water activity, peroxide value (PV), and oxidative stability (RapidOxy methods), were measured. Proximate composition and fatty acid profiles were assessed using AOAC methods and methylation with gas chromatography.
 Treated samples exhibited higher (P < 0.001) lightness (CIE L*) and CIE a* values than controls. Storage time significantly influenced butter color (CIE L* and b*, P < 0.001). Treated butter had lower (P < 0.001) hardness (261 vs 440 ± 20.0 g) and adhesiveness (84.1 vs 164 ± 7.3 g·s) compared to untreated samples. BHT- and TOC-treated butter demonstrated lower (P < 0.02) PVs (1.48 and 1.47 vs 1.61 ± 0.038 meq O2/kg fat) and extended oxidative stability (116.5 and 117.9 vs 50.5 ± 6.09 min at 140°C) compared to untreated butter. Water activity, proximate composition (81.1-82.8% fat; 0.91-0.95% protein; 13.1-17.0% moisture; and 0.63-0.72% ash), and fatty acid profiles were consistent across treated and untreated samples.
The findings suggest that adding BHT or α-tocopherol improves the quality and oxidative stability of goat cream butter under refrigerated conditions.