BUTTER DEFECTS 527 



Frequently the yellow specks are of a different nature and are 

 due to other causes. There occasionally appear yellow spots in the 

 butter that are of an oily, translucent nature. In this case they are 

 generally due to accidental exposure of that particular portion of 

 butter to some object warm enough to cause partial melting and, 

 when recongealed, the butter in that spot looks deep yellow like clear 

 butterfat. 



This defe'ct may occur when the operator uses a packer that 

 was soaked in hot water immediately before use and failed to cool 

 it. The warm butter packer melts a small portion of the butter 

 which it touches, resulting in yellow specks showing up in the but- 

 ter when examined over the trier, or when cut. The buttermaker 

 frequently argues that the butter packs more easily when a warm 

 packer is used. All tools, packers and ladles should be chilled in 

 cold water or cold brine, before they are used in the packing of 

 butter. 



Occasionally prints of butter are found that are completely 

 jacketed in a layer of this same translucent, clear, deep yellow, oily- 

 looking butter. This is caused when unsalted butter is stored in 

 a warm room for a considerable length of time. In this case the 

 surface layer becomes very soft, evaporates most of its moisture 

 and expels a portion of its protein content. When rehardened, a 

 surface layer, varying in thickness according to the temperature ex- 

 posed to and the duration of the exposure, of very sharply defined, 

 almost pure butterfat, is produced and this is of very translucent 

 deep yellow color, while the remainder of the print retains its nat- 

 ural opaque white color. Chemical analysis shows that the moisture 

 content of this outer layer of yellow butter may be no higher than 

 one per cent. This defect is greatly minimized in its intensity and 

 the evaporation retarded when the butter, in addition to the parch- 

 ment wrapper, is enclosed in a wax paper and packed in a carton. 



Salted butter exposed to similar conditions is not subject to this 

 defect. This is probably due to the fact that the loss of moisture 

 due to evaporation is more evenly distributed throughout the body 

 of the print. As the moisture on and near the surface evaporates, 

 salt crystals form which draw more moisture from the interior of 

 the butter. 



It is obvious that the storing of butter in a warm room is ob- 

 jectionable at best, and store-keepers should be urged not to keep 



