7. Changes in milk fat

Milk fat can spoil more or less quickly. The alterations mentioned here only concern those that have a :

• biochemical: enzymatic hydrolysis of triglycerides or lipolysis ;

• chemical: oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids.

These two main alterations to fat-containing dairy products (milks, creams, butters and cheeses) result in a deterioration in their sensory quality and, more particularly, their flavor.

Milk fat is a complex universe. Even an incomplete understanding of its composition and structure, and of the mechanisms governing its stability in milk, are fundamental to mastering technological processes.

In some cases, the integrity of the globular fat phase should be preserved as far as possible. In other cases, on the...