Unraveling the Unique Fatty Acid Signatures of Blended Butters: A Gas Chromatography Study

Objective: This study aimed to analyze the changes in the fatty acid profile of butter obtained by mixing goat butter and cow butter at different ratios (25%, 50%, 75% w/w) using gas chromatography and to identify the key fatty acids that can be used to detect goat butter adulterated with cow butter. Materials and methods: The purity of the fats used was determined by Real-Time PCR. Fatty acid composition analyses were performed using a Gas Chromatograph (GC) device. Results and conclusion: The results showed that as the proportion of goat butter increased, the amount of capric acid increased significantly, and the total percentage of unsaturated fatty acids decreased. Capric acid was found to be dominant in goat cheese, while the highest saturated fatty acid content was determined in cow cheese. Additionally, it was found that the trans-fat ratio increased when cow butter was added to goat butter. As a result of the study, it was determined that caproic acid (6:0), caprylic acid (8:0), capric acid (10:0), lauric acid (12:0), myristoleic acid (14:1), linoleic acid (18:2), linolenic acid (18:3), and eicosenoic acid (20:1) content in goat and cow butter mixtures can be used as marker acids.