Processing of buttermilk

Natural buttermilk is a byproduct of butter manufacture and is categorized as sweet (non-fermented) or acidic (fermented).

Sweet buttermilk is obtained during butter manufacture from pasteurized non-fermented cream. Depending on the processing conditions, which may involve heating the cream before ripening at 90°C for 15 seconds or 105°C- 110°C with no holding, sour cream or sweet cream buttermilk may be produces.

Sweet cream buttermilk can be further fermented by mesophilic lactic acid bacteria.

The basic manufacturing steps of cultured buttermilk involved standardization of the fat and solids-not-fat contents, followed by homogenization heating (85° C for 30 min), fermentation by starter cultures, breaking the fermentate, cooling and packaging. The buttermilk also can be powdered.

Fermented buttermilk contains around 0.7% lactic acid and traces of diacetyl in addition to protein, minerals and about 80% of the non-fermented lactose.

Only a minor percentage of the buttermilk produced is consumed directly, the commercial use of buttermilk includes applications in the baking and dairy industries.
Processing of buttermilk