Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
In dairy processing, raw cream utilized for butter-making often contains undesirable volatile off-flavors derived from feed, weeds, or bacterial activity.
Standard pasteurization does not remove these volatile taints, requiring specialized vacuum-thermal processing.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Vacuum pasteurization of cream is commercially known as vacreation, and the specialized equipment used is called a vacreator.
In this process, cream is subjected to a continuous three-stage thermal treatment:
1. High-temperature pasteurization by direct steam injection under moderate vacuum.
2. Expansion and steam stripping under a higher vacuum, which vaporizes and removes volatile off-flavor compounds.
3. Further cooling and moisture adjustment under extreme vacuum.
This combined thermal pasteurization and deodorization process ensures high-quality butter production.
Step 3: Final Answer:
Therefore, vacuum pasteurization of cream is known as vacreation, which corresponds to option (B).