Butterfat Totally Explained

Everything about Butterfat totally explained

Butterfat or milkfat is the fatty portion of milk. Milk and cream are often sold according to the amount of butterfat they contain.

Composition

The fatty acids of butterfat are typically composed as follows (by mass fraction):

Saturated fatty acids:
- Palmitic acid: 31%
- Myristic acid: 12%
- Stearic acid: 11%
- Lower (at most 12 carbon atoms) saturated fatty acids: 11%
Unsaturated fatty acids:
- Oleic acid: 24%
- Palmitoleic acid: 4%
- Linoleic acid: 3%
- Linolenic acid: 1%

U.S. Standards

In the U.S., there are federal standards

for butterfat content of dairy products.(External Link

) Commercial products generally contain the minimum legal amount of fat.

Milks

skim milk contains less than 0.5% fat, typically 0.1%
lowfat milk contains between 0.5–2% fat; 1% and 2% varieties are widely marketed
whole milk contains at least 3.25% fat

Cheeses

dry curd and nonfat cottage cheese contain less than 0.5% fat
cottage cheese contains at least 4% fat
lowfat cottage cheese contains 0.5–2% fat
cheddar cheese contains at least 50% fat relative to the total solids
Swiss cheese contains at least 43% fat relative to the total solids

Frozen desserts

ice cream contains at least 10% fat
lowfat ice cream, also called ice milk, contains not more than 2.6% fat
sherbet contains 1–2% fat

Creams

half and half contains 10.5–18% fat
light cream and sour cream contain 18–30% fat
light whipping cream (often called simply "whipping cream") contains 30–36% fat
heavy cream contains a minimum of 36% fat
manufacturer's cream (not federally regulated) contains 40% fat

Butter (including whipped butter) contains at least 80% fatFurther Information

Get more info on 'Butterfat'.

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