Butanoic Acid

Question 1

What is butanoic acid?

Answer 1

• Small simple molecule
• Straight liner chain of 4 carbon atoms
• Rarely occurs in free form in food
• Can be present at trace levels in food
• Significant in food because it can give a rancid odor
• Formation is food reflects catalysed by the hydrolytic enzyme lipase
• Often refferd to as a fatty acid
• Health benefits

Question 2

Why is butanoic acid significant in food (two reasons)?

Answer 2

• Can give foods a rancid odor

- Can be beneficial for health

Question 3

How does butanoic acid form in foods?

Answer 3

• Formation due to deteriorative enzymatic reaction catalysed by the hydrolytic enzyme lipase

Question 4

Solubility properties of butanoic acid?

Answer 4

• Often referred as a fatty acid because it is quite soluble in solvents that are used to dissolve fats during lab analysis in food fats
• It can also dissolve in water systems too

Question 5

Butanoic acid in fats?

Answer 5

• This acid occurs naturally in some fats in food
• Because it is a fatty acid it can be linked by an ester bond to a glycerol backbone in acyglycerol molecules (glycerides).
• Can be represented at C4:0
• 4 carbon atoms and no double bonds
• Can be found in milk too

Question 6

Butanoic and fiber?

Answer 6

• Butanoic can act as a fiber
• Evidence that it minimizes the formation of cancers in the lower GI
• Started adding it to foods