Chemical, microbial, and sensory characteristics of cow butter as affected by modified atmospheric packaging

In Ethiopia, butter production, handling, packaging, and storage often face challenges and are susceptible to deterioration. This research aimed to evaluate the effect of modified atmospheric packaging (MAP) on the chemical, microbial, and sensory characteristics of butter during a 12-month storage period. The modified Atmospheric Packaging (MAP) with [MAP1 (10 +/- 5% O2 and 50 +/- 5% CO2), MAP2 (5 +/- 5% O2 and 75 +/- 5% CO2), MAP3 (95 +/- 5% CO2) and ambient air (21% O2, 0.03% CO2 and 78%N2)] were evaluated in the study. The study found significant variations in chemical and microbial parameters for different MAP conditions. The pH value ranged from 6.65 to 3.87, moisture content from 16.5 to 13.49%, crude fat content from 81.08 to 84.27%, free fatty acid 0.92-25.4% oleic acid, Acid value 1.29-41.46 mg KOH/gram and peroxide value 0.2-7.62 meq peroxide. kg-1. Throughout the 12 months of storage, all analyzed microbial parameters in the butter samples increased significantly, while sensory attributes deteriorated. However, butter stored in an environment with higher concentrations of CO2 maintained its quality and shelf stability for the entire storage time. The results also revealed strong correlations among all the parameters studied. Based on these findings, it is recommended to use MAP3 (95 +/- 5% CO2) to enhance the storage quality and shelf stability of traditional cow butter. This research provides valuable insights for both the food industry and consumers, as it contributes to prolonging the shelf life of butter. It is recommended that reducing the level of ambient O2 and increasing the percentage of CO2 in the packaging retain the quality of butter during storage.