Ghee (clarified butter fat) is a well relished traditional fat rich dairy product. Ghee preparation involves concentration of milk fat using of different techniques, followed by heat treated at 110-120 °C for 10-20 min. During this process, moisture evaporates from the system with simultaneous changes in protein, lactose, fat and minerals. Interaction among these thermally altered species results into the development of characteristic 'ghee' flavor. But, the presence of unsaturated free fatty acids makes it highly susceptible to oxidative spoilage. Efforts have been made to increase the shelf life and functionality of ghee by adding many functional ingredients and natural antioxidants from different sources. This review deals with the different process employed for ghee preparation and the attempts made in the past two decades years to increase the functionality and shelf life of ghee. Also, the changes taking place during ghee preparation and flavour generation has been discussed in this review.
Keywords: Flavor generation; Functionality; Ghee preparation; Shelf life enhancement.
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