Characterization of Plant-Based Milk-Derived "Fujiharu Butter": Comparison With Butter and Butter-Like Substitutes.

Milk is one of the most widely consumed foods; however, people with lactase nonpersistence or milk protein allergies have difficulty consuming milk, as well as digesting most dairy products. Therefore, plant-based butters made from alternative plant-derived milks have attracted attention. "Fujiharu Butter" is a butter made from plant-based milk. Although it is produced without cow milk, the sensory characteristics of Fujiharu Butter are said to be similar to those of animal-based butter. Nonetheless, these sensory characteristics have only been qualitatively assessed and not thoroughly elucidated. This study aimed to quantitatively evaluate Fujiharu Butter in comparison with animal-based butter and other butter substitutes, such as fat spreads and commercially available soy milk-derived butter substitutes. The microstructure of Fujiharu Butter was determined using confocal Raman microscopy. Fujiharu Butter was found to be similar to the commercially available animal-based butter in terms of moisture content, crystal structure, and heat flow, differing from fat spreads and commercially available soy milk-derived butter substitute. These results suggest that Fujiharu Butter has structural and thermal properties comparable to those of commercially available animal-based butter. This indicates its potential as an alternative that circumvents dairy-related dietary restrictions. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The Fujiharu Butter evaluated in this study possessed a structure and thermal properties similar to those of animal-based butter. These findings demonstrate its potential as a novel food ingredient alternative to milk fat and hold promise for application in the development of foods suitable for individuals with milk protein allergies.