Development of a new technology for obtaining beta butter with health-promoting properties

Butter is a controversial product due to its high content of saturated fatty acids and high hardness at low temperatures, which results in reduced spreadability. On the other hand, butter is a natural rich source of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. The global market for butter production is very large and its further growth is still expected.

More and more conscious consumers are looking for the new products, placing great emphasis on health-promoting and functional products. In the case of butter, they mainly take into account the increased amounts of unsaturated fatty acids. Conjugated linoleic acid dienes present in milk fat have specific health-promoting properties, which have anti-atherosclerotic, antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic and anti-infrlammatory properties. An important functional characteristic of butter that consumers pay attention to is its hardness, which affects the ease of spreading.

The use of innovative mil fat fractionation technology using CO₂ will allow obtaining an olein fraction rich in unsaturated fatty acids, which can be recycled to earlier stages of butter production. The butter obtained in this way will be characterized not only by an excellent composition with health-promoting properties so desired by consumers, but also by reduced hardness, which will directly translate into improved spreadability and ease of use.

The main goal of the operation is to implement a product innovation in the form of beta butter - butter with an increased content of unsaturated fatty acids and improved functional values, including: in terms of lubricity. Cooperation between units involved in OG, as well as the implementation of research and development work and the implementation of their results in economic practice, will allow us to obtain a final product in the form of beta butter with unique health-promoting and functional properties.

This operation will allow us to introduce a new product to the market with unique features attractive to modern and conscious consumer.

Project activities

The following activities will be implemented:

1. Development of methods for microbiological analysis, identification of microorganisms and aging kinetics of milk, cream, anhydrous milk fat and butter.
2. Development of methods for analyzing the profiles of fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins, and examining the rheological and macrostructural properties of the product.
3. Purchase and installation of the machine and calibration of modules and parameteres in accordance with the obtained test results.
4. Purchase and installation of a digital solution at the farmer's site.
5. Development of technological projects and technical and engineering supervision.

The main benefits of the project

The use of innovative milk fat fractionation technology using CO₂, which is the subject of R&D work in this project, will allow obtaining an olein fraction rich in unsaturated fatty acids, which can be recycled to earlier stages of butter production. The butter obtained in this way will be characterized not only by an excellent composition with health-promoting properties so desired by consumers, but also by reduced hardness, which will directly translate into improved spreadability and ease of use.

In addition, the implementation of this operation will allow for:

• efficient use of resources - reducing inversion losses of fat globules,
• reducing water consumption and wastewater production and reducing the consumption of chemicals for disinfection - possible by introducing changes in the fat crystallization process and shortening its time, as well as automation and robotization of the production process,
• increasing storage capacity and reducing the carbon footprint - thanks to the possibility of longer storage of excess anhydrous milk fat in 200 l barrels, even for several mounths.

Practice summary

Main goal of the operation is to implement a product innovation in the form of beta butter - butter with an increased content of unsaturated fatty acids and improved functional values, including: in terms of lubricity. This will be possible thanks to the implementation of two technological innovations as a results of the operation, i.e.: 

1. Crystallization process combined with fat extraction using carbon dioxide.
2. technology for obtaining  beta butter by dosing it with the obtained anhydrous milk fat.

As a result of the operation, there will be a fundamental change in the butter production process, developed as part of R&D works. The butter obtained in this way will be characterized not only by an excellent composition with health-promoting properties so desired by consumers, but also by reduced hardness, which will directly translate into improved spreadability and ease to use.

Thanks to this, it will be possible to introduce a product with new and substantially improved features to the market, the appearance of which will translate into, at least a partial change in consumer preferences towards health-promoting food, such as functionalized dairy products, such as beta-butter.

Additional comments

In our project, we have focused on developing comprehensive analytical methods for semi-finished and fat products, which allows for the detailed determination of the molecular profiles of key fatty acids and phospholipids. This enables precise monitoring of products quality, significantly facilitating the process of implementing research results into industrial practice. However, the construction of original research modules in the face of dynamically changing raw material prices, as well as the implementation of advanced digital solutions, may pose a serious challenge from both an organizational and financial perspective.

In this context, further financial and organizational support will be crucial for the success of the project. In addition, we also point to the continuation of research on improving microbiological analysis methods and developing microorganism identification technologies. Furthermore, further work on optimizing fatty acid profiles and the rheological properties of the product can contribute to further improving the quality of beta butter, which is our main goal.

In the communication for consumers, it is necessary to emphasize the innovativeness of the beta butter production process and its unique health-promoting and functional features. Such an approach not only strengthens brand awareness but also educates consumers about the added value of our product, which is key in building trust and loyalty among customers.