Foreword : the five food families

What is butter ?

The different types of butter

The benefits of butter

Butter practical advice : preservation tips

Butter : Questions and Answers

Foreword

According to nutritionists, there are five indispensable food families in the attainment of a balanced diet :
 fruit and vegetables (for vitamins) ;
 dairy products (calcium) ;
 meat, fish and eggs (proteins) ;
 cereals and starch (glucides) ;
 fats (lipids).

While butter is a dairy product, it is “nutritionally” classified under the fats family, since it is not very rich in calcium and contains mainly lipids.

What is butter ?

In France, the “Butter” designation is legally protected. It is a “dairy product of the water emulsion type in fat of dairy origin” 20 litres of milk are required to produce 1 kilo of butter.

It is manufactured from cream, which is “beaten”, shaken, traditionally with a churn, or more frequently with a butter-making machine. Butter flakes are thus separated from the liquid (then called buttermilk), washed and creamed, forming a compact mass.

Initially, butter contains neither aromas nor additives* being a 100% natural product, still constituted of at least 82% fat content and 16% water.

* Colouring agents such as carotene B are sometimes used, but are excluded from “extra-fine” or “label of origin” butters. “Light” butters could also contain additives.

The different types of butter

Several categories exist :
 mild butter : that is to say natural, with no salt added ;
 slightly salted butter, where salt content is limited to 0.5% to 3% ;
 salted butter, where salt content is higher than 3%.

Butter types are also distinguished by how their cream is processed :
 Raw butter : the cream used has not undergone any thermal processing (neither heat, pasteurization, cold or frozen treatment) ;
 Extra-fine butter : this is a pasteurized product since it is exclusively manufactured using pasteurized cream, albeit neither frozen nor deep frozen.
 Fine butter : also pasteurized, using a mixture of frozen or deep-frozen pasteurized cream.

Butter has an 82% fat content : if it contains more or less, it no longer has the right, in France, to be called “butter”, but must be described differently. Other butter derivatives, with varying fat percentages, therefore exist generally for culinary or industrial uses :

 concentrated butter : 99.8% fat content. Also called "butter oil", this butter is used to store surpluses and for the reconstitution of milk and the the manufacture of dairy products in developing countries.
 cooking butter : this product has a 96% fat content and is pasteurized and dehydrated. It is mostly used in the agri-food industry and by other professional users (e.g. restaurateurs, pastrycooks)
 expanded butter (or ventilated) : the initial butter volume has been increased (by the incorporation of gas bubbles, much like the cream in crème Chantilly). This gives rise to a light, voluminous and ventilated butter, ideal for certain culinary preparations ;
 light butter : between 41% and 81% fat content ;
 extra-light butter : less than 41% fat content.
 Below this figure, it is no longer butter but a special dairy spread.

Reminder : In France, the rules lay down that fat-content percentages must be indicated on the packaging.

Finally, different types of optional names also exist, at the discretion of the manufacturer : churn butter (produced in a traditional churn and not by a continuous process), “creamed” butter, organic butter, label-of-origin butter, etc. Different regions also express themselves through their butter, by aroma, texture, taste intensity, type of animal fodder used, etc. For example, if butter from Charente is renowned for its hazelnut flavour, that of Normandy has a dominant slightly caramelised fresh-cream taste.

The benefits of butter :

1. On health : butter is a natural product with an incomparable flavour containing no additives. If consumed moderately it is good for the health.

- With its fat content, butter is an excellent source of energy for the organism. Milk contains some 400 different fatty acids, including essential fatty acids. No other fatty food can match such a variety. Which is why it is perfectly adapted to the needs of our organism. These fatty acids have different functions :

> Saturated short and medium chain fatty acid milk is essentially used as an energy source by intestine and liver cells

> Saturated long chain fatty acids are responsible for structural functions and serve as energy reserves in the form of body fat.

> Conjugated linoleic acids (unsaturated long chain fatty acids) help to lower cholesterol levels and aid in preventing arteriosclerosis and certain cancers.

> The Omega 3 fatty acids which they contain play a protective role in the cardiovascular system.

With its low absorption level and high fatty- acid content, butter is very easily digested. Its fatty particles are so well-distributed in the emulsion process, that even those suffering from intestinal problems find it easy to digest.

Butter also provides :

 phospholipids, which play a protective role in the stomach, reinforcing the nervous system and improving concentration.

 an appreciable quantity of vitamin A (important in the eyesight mechanism, growth, skin protection, resistance to infections, etc.), of vitamin D (essential for assimilating and fixing calcium to bones) and to a lesser extent vitamin E is also present.

2. In perceptions and in pleasure awareness : butter has the particularity of organoleptically harnessing and distributing the aromas of other foods. Not only does it spread its own, but raises the taste and smoothness of those that accompany it

Butter practical advice : preservation tips

Because of its “taste-sensor” characteristic, butter should not left exposed in a refrigerator ; this is why it is recommended that it be kept in a compartment isolated from other foodstuffs, or in its original wrapping.

 As a general rule, raw butter can be refrigerated for about a fortnight. As for the pasterurised product it can be conserved for two to three months.

 Salted and semi-salted butter, because of the salt content, can be kept for longer.

 Butter can be frozen, but beware of the length of the freezing period, because it could still turn rancid. Once defrosted, it should be preferably consumed the same day.

Butter : Questions and Answers

Does butter cause fatness ?

No foodstuff on its own can cause fatness. It’s only when the energy values (of the food) are higher than those expended (by physical exercise) that weight is gained. It’s therefore all a question of quantity and equilibrium.

Can butter be used in cooking ?

It can be heated, or melted, but not cooked too much. Above 120°C it blackens, becomes caramelised, and loses its vitamins. Ideally it should be consumed raw, or melted in food preparations and foodstuffs.

Can those who are allergic to dairy proteins consume butter ? The answer is no, because butter contains traces of the protein, and thus it is generally prohibited.

What is the difference between butter and margarine ?

Butter is of dairy origin, while margarine is of plant origin.

Is butter fattier than margarine or oil ?

No ! Butter and margarine contain the same amount of fats (82%). While oils (whether olive, sunflower or any others) always contain 100%.

Is butter difficult to digest ?

As a general rule it isn’t, and the opposite is even the case since saturated short-chain fatty acids are assimilated particularly swiftly by the organism. But if the accompanying dishes are too rich or the meal is too copious, the sensation of “remaining in the stomach” could be given.

From what age onwards can butter be given to a baby ?

A small knob of butter can be added to baby’s mash from 7 – 8 months’ old ; it provides vitamins, and above all an early training in taste by augmenting food flavour.

Sources :www.maison-du-lait.com, www.cerin.org, www.cliclait.com, www.produits-laitiers.com