Decoding flavor formation in recombined milk: The role of milk fat fractions from dry fractionation and their fatty acid profiles

2026-03-01

Kunli Xu

Zheting Zhang

Jiayu Zhou

Zhang, Xiaoli

Xiaochun Yang

Bei Wang *

DOI：10.1016/j.lwt.2026.119181

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To investigate the impact of milk fat fractions on recombined milk flavor, six samples including liquid and solid fractions obtained at 25 degrees C (25L-M, 25S-M) and 30 degrees C (30L-M, 30S-M), unfractionated milk fat (MF-M) and skim milk control (skim-M), were analyzed by comprehensively employing sensory evaluation, electronic nose, and gas chromatography-olfactometry-mass spectrometry (GC-O-MS). Liquid fractions exhibited stronger milky and sweet aromas than solid fractions and skim control. Seventy-four volatiles were identified, with 40 odorants detected by GC-O. Furthermore, aroma-active compounds (AACs) were quantified using external calibration (21 AACs, flavor dilution, FD >= 8) and stable isotope dilution analysis (9 AACs, FD >= 16 and odor activity values, OAV >= 1). Twelve key AACs were confirmed, with nonanal and octanal identified as the main contributors to the fatty aroma, and gamma-dodecalactone and delta-decalactone were primarily responsible for the sweet aroma. Fatty acid profiling and correlation analysis supported a dual-pathway formation mechanism, with medium-and short-chain saturated fatty acids correlating with lactones, and unsaturated fatty acids (C18:1, C18:2) correlating with aldehydes and alcohols. This study clarified the molecular mechanisms of flavor regulation by milk fat fractions, providing a theoretical basis for developing flavor-optimized dairy products.

Keywords:

Milk fat dry fractionation

Aroma-active compounds

Aroma precursors

Formation mechanism

Decoding flavor formation in recombined milk: The role of milk fat fractions from dry fractionation and their fatty acid profiles

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