Indian Food Industry Mag
Vol 36 No 4, Jul-Aug 2017
TECHNICAL ARTICLES
Quality issues during production and distribution of buttermilk
Kamal Gandhi*, Somashekara Reddy PV1 , Indrajeet banjare1 and Anil Kumar2
1*
Dairy Chemistry Division, NDRI, Karnal
2
Centre for Rural Development and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, India
*E-mail: kamalgandhindri@gmail.com
Buttermilk also known as mattha or chaas or
chaach, is refreshing milk based natural drink. It is
an easy to use low-calorie drink that refreshes
immediately with the goodness of nature. It is
usually taken along with the meal in most parts of
the country. Traditionally, buttermilk was the liquid
left behind after churning cream in the course of
production of butter. Alternatively, it can also be
prepared during the pre-stratification process and
comes in the bottom most layer. The buttermilk
which is now available in the market is prepared
from milk that has been pasteurized and
homogenized and then inoculated with lactic acid
bacteria (LAB). The traditional butter milk is less
viscous compared to the cultured buttermilk.
The worldwide buttermilk production is raised from
1429 KMT in 2011 to 1684 KMT in 2016 with an
average growth rate of about 2-3%. Owing to the
increased use of buttermilk powder in various
processed foods, it is expected to have growth at
CAGR of 3.5% from 2016 to 2024. Increasing
incomes, urbanisation, growing awareness on
health and wellness and the availability of user-
friendly and convenient packs, etc. are predicted to
be the factors in driving the Indian packaged
buttermilk market in the forthcoming years. In
accordance with its recent report titled “Dairy
Industry in India: 2013-2019”, Research firm IMARC
Group expects this market to expand at a CAGR of
about 21.4% during 2013-2019.
Buttermilk contains vitamins, potassium,
calcium, and traces of phosphorus; it is a good
beverage to quench thirst in the summer season. It
is highly flavourful and mildly to highly acidic. It
TARs
contains 6-7 % milk solids and 1-2 % fat. The fat
retained in buttermilk is comparatively high in low-
melting constituents of fat. The product is also rich
in protein and lactose. It also contains milk fat
8
globule membrane rich in phospholipids especially
phosphatidylcholine(lecithin),
phosphatidylethanolamine, and sphingomyelin,
which offer additional health benefits. It promotes
digestion by decreasing the acidity after a meal by
taking away the fat or oil on the linings of the
intestine. Furthermore, spices like ginger and pepper
used to flavour the drink also help in improving
digestion. Buttermilk is known to alleviate stomach
problems like indigestion and constipation and fights
dehydration. Perhaps lactose intolerant individuals
may also consume buttermilk without having any
kind of risks as most of the lactose is actually
converted into lactic acid by lactic acid bacteria. The
buttermilk is served in chilled conditions in the form
of plain, spiced or jeera buttermilk. In spiced
buttermilk, spices (masala) are used in chaach,
which provide flavor and taste to the product while
salt work as a preservative in chaach. SMP is also
sometimes used in spiced buttermilk to increase the
total solids. In India, different brands are selling it
in different forms like pouches, cups and tetra packs
with their own recipes.
Standard protocol and checklists should be
followed for the production of buttermilk in plants
to ensure good quality product, thereby improving
the sales. This write-up will talk about the
experiences of quality linked complications usually
come across at the time of production and supply
of buttermilk from the plant to the end-user.
Production of Buttermilk
Buttermilk can be prepared from toned milk
(3% fat and 8.5% SNF) / DTM (1.5 % fat and 9 %
SNF)/ Skim milk (0.5 % fat and 8.5 % SNF), which
is heated to 90oC for 5- 10 min. Thereafter, the milk
is cooled to 40-42oC. Simultaneously, an adequate
quantity of starter culture (@1-2%) is added to milk,
which is agitated for 10-15 min for proper mixing

of culture in culture vats. Curd formed after
incubation period is then broken with agitators with
the addition of pasteurized chilled water at 40C,
followed by its homogenization/shearing for the
uniform mixing of the curd particles. The buttermilk
is then subjected to thermisation (optional) (63-65oC
for 15 seconds) to inactivate psychrotrophic bacteria
in milk followed by addition of additives (spices and
salt) to impart characteristic taste and flavor to the
product (Fig. 1). It is then chilled to 4oC, filled in
pouches and shifted to cold store (4 oC) before
dispatch.
Critical control point (CCP) in buttermilk
production
· Heat treatment of milk
The milk used for curd preparation should be
properly pasteurized or heated to 90oC, to kill the
unwanted microorganisms, to remove air from the
medium to produce a more conducive medium for
the growth of microaerophilic lactic cultures and
also to denature albumins and globulins, which will
absorb water and forms a thick curd. The
steps involved in the production of buttermilk are
shown in the Fig. 1.
Quality control points
· Inoculation and incubation
· Addition of pasteurized chilled water
· Homogenization/shearing of buttermilk
· Acidity of curd
· Addition of spices and condiments
Inoculation and incubation of cultures:
The DVS culture is added proportionally (@1-2%)
to milk, which is devoid of foam at 40 to 42oC,
which is to be maintained up to the setting of dahi,
not doing this will have an effect on the setting time
of the dahi changing the taste of dahi and buttermilk.
Addition of pasteurized chilled water:
The set dahi in silo or tank is then broken
with an agitator once the required acidity is reached
(0.65-0.80%). The pasteurized chilled water at 40C
is added to the curd, the amount of which varies
from one dairy to another (40-70 ratio of water to
60-30 ratios of curd).
Homogenization/shearing of buttermilk:
Proper distribution of curd in buttermilk
requires homogenization or shearing with a shear
9
Indian Food Industry Mag
Vol 36 No 4, Jul-Aug 2017
pump to obtain uniform texture.
Acidity in the final product:
The acidity of final product mainly depends
on the ratio of water added to the curd. If more
water is added, acidity will drop, taste becomes flat.
Adding lesser amount would cause acidity on the
higher side leading to slightly acidic taste. The
acidity of buttermilk varies from region to region.
Addition of spices:
In spiced buttermilk, the spices are added at
the final stage before packing, the spices are natural
or natural extracts and the spiciness varies from
region to region i.e., moderate spiciness with thick
buttermilk is preferred by North Indians, whereas,
in South India more spiciness with thin buttermilk
(watery like) is seen in the market.
Quality issues in buttermilk
Several quality issues can determine the
quality of the buttermilk. These include:
1. Puffing of buttermilk: It is due to the
contamination of the buttermilk with gas
producing microorganisms and yeast, where
the buttermilk is stored at higher temperature
leading to the growth of microorganisms in
the geometric ratio in buttermilk pouches or
cups or tetra packs. This can be avoided by
storing of buttermilk at refrigeration
temperature below 5oC and by improving the
hygiene of the plant, pipelines and
equipment.
2. Bitter taste of buttermilk: Bitter curd if
contaminated with high proteolytic bacteria,
which are not destroyed during its
production, would give a bitter taste to
butter milk. Use of fresh and slightly acidic
curd can avoid this problem.
3. Flat taste of buttermilk: It may be either
due to the low acidic curd being used for
buttermilk preparation or due to the water
addition in buttermilk to maintain its fat and
SNF standard. To prevent this, proper acidity
of curd being used for buttermilk preparation
is to be maintained.
4. Acidic taste of buttermilk: It may be due
TARs
to the sour curd used in buttermilk
preparation or when the heat treatment is
bypassed leading to the growth of micro
 Indian Food Industry Mag
Vol 36 No 4, Jul-Aug 2017
organisms in the product causes acidic taste.
By avoiding sour curd addition or using fresh
curd can prevent this defect.
5. Late acidity formation in the curd: It is
due to low quantity of culture addition,
lower temperature maintained during
incubation and/or inactivation of the starter
TARs
culture by antibiotics, drug residues or phage
attack. To avoid this defect, milk used for
dahi preparation should be free from
antibiotics and drug residues. Rotation of
10
starter cultures needs to done and also
proper CIP of dahi preparation lines and
equipment preferably by CAC (Caustic-Acid-
Caustic) CIP should be done. Proper
temperature to be maintained during the
entire incubation period. The right proportion
of culture should be used.
6. Curdy particle in buttermilk: It can
develop because of non-uniform mixing of
the curd with the water, leading to small curd
particles in the butter milk. Homogenization

of buttermilk or shearing of buttermilk by
using the shear pump can prevent this defect.
7. Bitter curd with whey separation: It is due
to starter culture inactivation by phage attack,
drug residues or antibiotics. Keeping milk at
400 C for a long time with no starter culture
produces bitter curd with whey separation.
Regular checking the starter cultures for its
activity can avoid this problem.
8. Loss of spicy taste: The spices used in
buttermilk may lose their volatile components
during storage at a higher temperature. Use of
excess spices in buttermilk or proper storage of
buttermilk can solve this issue.
9. Post-processing contamination of
product: It is due to improper cleaning of
packing machines, pipelines, and equipment,
unhygienic storage of packaging materials
and unheated raw materials (spices) being used
in the final product. It can revented with proper
CIP of machines and equipment and hygienic
storage of packaging materials. Packaging
materials should be stored in ust-free and
humidity free conditions. At the same time,
sterilized condition of films and hygiene of
surrounding areas should be maintained.
Condition of the distributor vehicle:
The vehicles used for the supply of
buttermilk should be both insulated and refrigerated
to maintain the cold chain. Distributing the product
in the open vehicle by the distributor to retailers for
a long time causes a surge in temperature. The
product stays out in the open until retailer takes the
product into his shop which further increases the
temperature.
Conclusion
Buttermilk is a wholesome, rejuvenating
drink that brings down body heat, especially in the
hovering sun. Buttermilk being lower in calories
could also be taken by people on diet. A well-
planned quality control program must be
implemented in the dairy plant to increase the shelf
life of the buttermilk. It must target on buttermilk
viscosity, flavor, texture, fermentation process, and
composition. Daily chemical, physical,
microbiological and organoleptic tests constitute the
11
Indian Food Industry Mag
Vol 36 No 4, Jul-Aug 2017
heart of quality assurance. To deliver the product
with the most appealing attributes of flavor and
texture, product standards of fats, solids, viscosity,
pH, and organoleptic characteristics should be
strictly adhered to. It is crucial to put in force a
stringent sanitation program along with good
manufacturing practices. Puffing, bitter taste, flat
taste, sour taste, curdy buttermilk and loss of
spiciness are the usual defects in buttermilk, if the
hygienic conditions and cold chain protocols from
the plant are not put into practice until its
consumption. In order to cut down electricity bill,
retailers quite often keep their refrigeration system
off, which also impacts the quality of buttermilk. On
time supply of buttermilk giving adequate time for
its sale prior to its “Use by” date is required.
Further reading
Gandhi K, Somashekara Reddy PV, Arora S, and
Rao JK (2017). Common Quality defects in
dahi sold in the market. Indian Dairyman
69(6):68-71.
http://www.imarcgroup.com/indian-
flavouredfrozen-yoghurt-market-grow-cagr-
33-2013-2019.
Aneja RP (2002). Technology of Indian milk
products. Dairy India Yearbook, Delhi
De, S. (1980). Outlines of dairy technology.
Oxford University Press, New Delhi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buttermilk
Conway V, Gauthier SF, and Pouliot Y (2014).
Buttermilk: much more than a source of milk
phospholipids. Animal Frontiers 4(2): 44-51.
Conway V, Couture P, Gauthier S, Pouliot Y, and
Lamarche B (2014). Effect of buttermilk
consumption on blood pressure in
moderately hypercholesterolemic men and
women. Nutrition 30(1): 116-119.
Kumar R, Kaur M, Garsa AK, Shrivastava B, and
Padmanabha V(2015). Natural and Cultured
Buttermilk. CRC Press, Taylor and Francis,
USA
Gebreselassie N, Abrahamsen RK, Beyene F, Abay
F, and Narvhus JA (2016). Chemical
composition of naturally fermented
TARs
buttermilk. Int J Dairy Technol 69(2): 200-
208.