In some European countries the pasteurization of cream for buttermaking is extensively practiced. Butter manufacturers in the United States have long recognized that this is a desirable procedure and they have written numerous letters to the experiment stations seeking information regarding it. In many cases it has been more or less difficult to answer these inquiries because of the comparatively small amount of experimental work which has been done along this line.

The purpose of the experiments herein reported was to determine the value of pasteurization to those engaged in the manufacture of butter. In this connection the effect of pasteurization on the flavor of the butter, on the keeping quality, on the body, on the chemical composition, and on the mechanical losses was considered and an effort was made to determine the relative merits of the various methods of pasteurization.