The aroma profile of butter produced using different starter cultures

The aroma of fermented dairy products is greatly influenced by starter cultures and by the lactic acid bacteria strains that are used as starter cultures. Experimental butter samples were produced using no starter culture, by a commercial starter culture (Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar. diacetylactis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides), by a prepared bacteria mix (Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis EM1, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris EM28, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar. diacetylactis G49, Leuconostoc mesenteroides B3), and by a prepared bacteria mix fortified with Lactobacillus rhamnosus B19 (L. rhamnosus B19). The aroma profile of the butter samples was investigated using a gas chromatography mass spectometry method (GC-MS). A total of 92 components were determined in the butter samples, including acids (12), alcohols (20), aldehydes (9), alkanes (6), esters (8), ketones (19) and several other aroma compounds (18). The sample containing the prepared starter culture had the most detectable aroma components, while the lowest number of aromatic components were found in the sample without a starter culture. 2,3-butanedione (diacetyl) was not detected in the sample without a starter culture. 2-Butanone 3-hydroxy- (acetoin) content was the highest in the sample containing the commercial starter culture and the lowest in the sample without a starter culture.