Sensory profile and drivers of liking of grass-fed and total mixed ration butters

Bovine diet and stage of lactation can influence milk fat composition, flavour, and texture. The impact of these on sensory perception and consumer acceptance of butter remain poorly understood. In Ireland, commercial production typically uses a 95 % grass-fed (GRS) system. Previous research has focused on comparisons between 100 % GRS butter and total mixed ration. This study evaluated the sensory attributes and consumer perceptions of butters derived from 95 % GRS, partial mixed ration (PMR), and total mixed ration (TMR) feeding systems. 300 consumers evaluated GRS, TMR and PMR butter samples, providing hedonic and intensity ratings for taste, texture, colour, and flavour. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed three independent perceptual dimensions accounting for 60.3 % of variance: hedonic (liking of appearance, smell, flavour, and overall impression), textural/visual (spreadability, creaminess, colour), and taste/aftertaste (flavour intensity, saltiness, aftertaste). No clear separation between consumer preference segments was observed in the PCA. Across feeding systems, GRS butter received significantly higher ratings than TMR for overall liking, appearance, smell, taste/flavour, spreadability, colour intensity, flavour intensity, saltiness, and creaminess (p < 0.05). Multiple regression indicated that flavour and creaminess intensity were the strongest positive predictors of overall liking. Overall, while production system influenced measurable sensory properties, consumer preferences were heterogeneous. These findings suggest that butter liking is primarily driven by flavour and texture attributes, but the relative importance of these factors varies across consumer groups.