Influence of seasonal variation and ultra high temperature processing on lipid profile and fat globule structure of Swedish cow milk.

To investigate the effects of seasonal variations and processing on cow milk fat, raw milk collected in six individual months and corresponding ultra high temperature (UHT) milk were analyzed. Similar seasonal variations in lipid classes and fatty acid composition were found in raw and UHT milk. Under commercial processing, lipid content was standardized to approximately 1.5% in UHT milk. Decreased diameter of fat droplets (around 1µm) and thinner globule membranes were observed, as revealed using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The distribution of lipid classes was modified with a decreased proportion of triacylglycerol accompanied by the increase of phospholipids and free fatty acids. Saturated fatty acids C12:0 and C14:0, trans-fatty acids including conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), polyunsaturated fatty acids C18:2(n-6) and C18:3(n-3), showed increased proportions in UHT milk. These results provide an indication of the effect of UHT processing on milk lipid properties.